Skip to main content

tv   Today  NBC  November 29, 2012 7:00am-11:00am PST

7:00 am
november 29th, 2012.3 c1 and good morning. welcome to "today" on this thursday morning. and take a look at that beauty. that is the rockefeller center christmas tree all freshly lit up. and good morning to you, i'm savannah gurthrie alongside matt lauer, al roker, and natalie morales.
7:01 am
and we just had to step outside this morning to behold the beauty that is that tree. >> and why not. and to take a second, you guys did a great job last night. i got to see the show. was it about this cold last night? >> oh, i'd say it was colder. >> i have one question for you? >> yeah. >> is mariah carey is one big goosebump performing? >> xhefs -- she was scantily clad. >> it was breezy. no question about it. >> that was great, trace atkins was great, mariah carey, rod stewart. >> when we said, three, two, one, the lights went on. al confessed he always gets a nervous at that moment. >> just before. okay. they're on. >> she's perfect. >> no question. the lighting of the tree lights a lot of people spirits. you know what else kept people warm over the last couple of days? the thoughts of being multimillionaires. let me just say this if you are waking this up morning and don't
7:02 am
live in arizona or missouri, you probably should not quit your day job. that's where the winning tickets were sold. >> arizona, i have not heard from my mother recently. here are the winning numbers, you should see them on your screen. i've always wanted to do that. so who is waking up to be new multimillionaires? we're going to talk to a lottery official today. >> the good news is if you got five numbers, they said there are like 58 people who won $1 million. >> 9,000 tickets that are returning some money. let's find out more about this. stephanie gosk is with us this morning. here to fill us in on a long night of waiting for a lot of people. hi, steph. >> hi, guys. the cash, one-time payment is $384.7 million. >> wow. >> it's a lot of money. it's going to be split at least two ways. at one point yesterday, they were selling 130,000 tickets a minute across the country. that means as irrational as their hope may have been, there are a lot of disappointed people this morning. >> i hope you got those tickets, good luck. >> reporter: after days of
7:03 am
frenzied build-up with a fortune on the line -- >> the winning ticket. >> reporter: the numbers were drawn. five white and one red. >> over $500 million jackpot, it is red. >> reporter: across the states, millions of people clutched their ticket. knowing the odds were impossibly small, knowing they were probably going to lose. >> well, you're always hopeful you're going to win something. >> reporter: for a brief moment, everyone who played had a chance to imagine what they would do. >> what do you buy? >> a car. >> the company. >> vegas. >> vegas. >> i'll leave tomorrow. >> oh, i'll pay my house off first. >> take a vacation for the rest of my life. >> reporter: maryann muller came into a store for coffee and left with three tickets. >> one is for my best friend whose birthday is today, one for
7:04 am
my sister who lives with me, who is looking for an apartment. one is for me. >> reporter: bad news, maryann, it doesn't get better for deborah reno and her son ashton. if you don't win, are you disappointed? >> life goes on. everybody's happy and healthy. >> reporter: that will have to be enough. no match for them either. reality now setting in, people have to go back to work. the mortgage will still have to be paid. >> thank you. >> reporter: nearly half of all ticket sales go back to the states where the game is played, boosting state budgets. at one point on wednesday, there were more than 130,000 plays per minute nationwide. by the end of the day, the total ticket sales were well over $1 billion. >> winning ticket right here. >> reporter: that's a lot of people spending money they probably worked hard to earn clinging on to one undeniable truth. >> got to be in it to win it. >> reporter: and you can bet when the jackpot grows again, they'll be back. powerball doubled the price of
7:05 am
the tickets earlier this year from $1 to $2. that drives up jackpots. so, matt, you can expect another frenzy some time soon. >> all right, stephanie gosk, thank you very much. sue dooley is the senior drawing manager for the multi-state lottery. she is at florida lottery headquarters in tallahassee this morning. sue, good morning to you. >> good morning, matt. >> so it's kind of a gloomy morning for people who are waking up today if they don't live in arizona or missouri. what more information can you tell us? can you narrow this down at all? >> unfortunately, what we do is the lotteries have secured procedures that they like to follow. and once arizona and missouri have done their steps that they need to, they'll be releasing the town and the retailer that they were purchased in. >> and we should mention, by the way, powerball tickets are not sold in every state, it could be possible that someone drove into arizona, for example, from california or nevada to buy a
7:06 am
ticket, right? >> that's correct, especially in arizona. >> all right. so what are the logistics now? if you are the person out there and you've got that winning ticket or what you believe to be the winning ticket, what steps should you take immediately? >> the first thing you should do is sign the back of your ticket. because until you do that, if you happen to lose it, it could be anyone's ticket. once you sign it, that's your ticket. first of all, take a deep breath, enjoy the moment, your life is changing right now. and then take some time, get some good financial advice. have a lawyer, get a financial adviser, decide what your plan of action is going to be, and then come forward to the lottery and claim your ticket. >> and i like the way you put that, sue. that's the order you should proceed in. you should not be running forward and telling everybody you've got the ticket and then worrying about legal things and financial things. set your team in place first. >> that's correct. that's correct. >> and we should also mention this morning, sue, that while
7:07 am
people may be tempted to tear up their tickets because they weren't winners, there are 9,000 other winning tickets out there and they range in value. >> that's correct. we had, actually, 58 people that matched all five of the white balls for $1 million in cash. so i wouldn't want to be tearing anything up until you knew for sure what you had for a winner. anything from $1 million and $2 million all the way just to the power ball, you win $4. >> this jackpot last night, over half a billion, now resets and goes back to $40 million, ho-hum. >> well, i'd take $40 million. i can't play, so i'd take $40 million. >> sue, thank you very much. and we can't wait to hear more about the winners. >> all right. thanks, matt. >> okay. and now let's go over to savannah. >> all right, matt. thanks. it's cold and clear here in new york city, but out west, people are dealing with menacing weather, al. >> that's right, and it's going to be lasting right through the weekend, savannah. we are talking about our trends
7:08 am
in the pacific northwest. you can see there's a big upper level low spinning here with a very powerful front attached to it. as it pushes in, we've also got a subtropical jetstream bringing in pacific moisture. you combine it all and we're looking at a lot of rain. this is the futurecast radar. you can see during the day today, the rain gets heavier and heavier, mountain snows start developing. here's what we're looking for for the next 72 hours. generally, anywhere from 4 to 8 inches of rain from central california into the pacific northwest. look at some of these rainfall amounts. as much as 15 inches of rain in central and northern california, plus there's mountain snow to talk about, the cascade mountains, the sawtooth, the tetons, the sierra mountains and mt. shasta could see anywhere from 1 to 1 1/2 feet of snow. matt? >> all right, al. thank you very much. we're going to get the rest of your forecast in just a little bit. now we turn to washington where president obama welcomes his former rival, governor romney, to the white house today.
7:09 am
it is their first meeting since the hard-fought election. and they've got a lot to talk about. chuck todd is nbc's chief white house correspondent and political director. chuck, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, matt. it's an event that both men believe is important for the country to show that no matter how nasty the campaign got that american politics, we eventually rise above these things. now there's no set agenda between the two men, president obama and mitt romney, no aides will be present. may end up being simply two guys breaking bread and sharing war stories. >> reporter: the last time president obama and mitt romney came face to face, they were locked in a bitter fight for the presidency. today, they'll try to bury the today, they'll try to bury the today, they'll try to bury the today, they'll try to bury the today, they'll try to bury the hatchet as president obama fulfills his promise. the president's spokesman was careful, though, to manage expectations. >> it's a private lunch. only the two men will be in the room. and i'm sure it will be a useful discussion. >> reporter: meanwhile with the
7:10 am
so-called fiscal cliff looming, president obama sends his chief negotiator, tim geithner, to capitol hill today for individual meetings with each member of the congressional leadership, including speaker boehner. wednesday, mr. obama brought back a campaign atmosphere, surrounding himself with what he called average middle class families to ramp-up pressure on republicans. >> if congress does nothing, every family in america will see their taxes automatically go up at the beginning of next year. >> reporter: the president wants congress to extend the bush tax rates for those making less than $250,000, but let taxes go up for everyone else. he's taking that message on the road friday to pennsylvania. not to be outdone on the pr front, house republicans hosted a group of nervous business leaders who have signed on to a campaign called "fix the debt" who want spending cuts to supplement the tax hikes. >> we put revenue on the table as long as it's accompanied by serious spending cuts to avert this crisis. >> reporter: and as the
7:11 am
president gets set to change up his cabinet, he took time out of wednesday's cabinet meeting to defend the woman who could be his next secretary of state. >> susan rice is extraordinary. couldn't be prouder of the job that she's done. >> reporter: following that vote of confidence for rice, the outgoing secretary of state., hillary clinton, also spoke out. >> susan rice has done a great job as our ambassador to the united nations. >> reporter: still, rice had to spend another day on capitol hill discussing benghazi with skeptical senate republicans. >> and realize that all of us here hold the secretary of state to a very different standard than most cabinet members. >> reporter: well, white house aides insist president obama is yet to make a decision between susan rice or massachusetts senator john kerry as his replacement for secretary of state hillary clinton. at this point, aides say to me that the president knows he can't let this linger much longer, can't leave rice or
7:12 am
kerry hanging in the wind. expect an announcement perhaps by early next weeks. >> chuck todd at the white house, thank you very much. we want to turn and get a check of the day's other top stories. natalie morales over at the news desk. good morning. >> good morning, everyone. ex-cia chief general david petraeus spoke out about his affair with biographer paula broadwell in a letter to his colleague james shelton nbc news has learned this morning. in the november 20th note, petraeus says, quote, i screwed up royally and tells shelton, quote, i paid the price appropriately and i sought to do the right thing at the end of the day. petraeus also praises his wife for standing by him. the affair brought about petraeus' resignation earlier this month. renewed fears this morning that egypt could be on the verge of a second popular revolution as mohamed morsi addresses the nation today calling for unity. nationwide protests have turned violent and even deadly as demonstrators blast morsi's decree last week that gave him virtually absolute power.
7:13 am
the united nations is set to recognize palestine as a state today with overwhelming support from the general assembly. the palestinians will ask for recognition as a non-member state. a similar designation is held by the vatican. but israel and the u.s. are opposed to the bid, saying it violates peace accords. yet another arrest this morning for lindsay lohan. the troubled starlet was charged with assault around 4:00 a.m. in manhattan. she allegedly punched another woman in the face at a new york city nightclub. the other woman was not arrested and was not taken to the hospital. and now let's head to wall street. cnbc's mary thompson is at the new york stock exchange. good morning to you, mary. good morning, there's growing optimism that a budget deal will be reached to keep the u.s. from falling off the fiscal cliff. today, investors get another read on the holiday shopping season when retailers report their november figures for sales at stores open more than a year. and general motors and its
7:14 am
chinese partners are building a third plan in china in order to meet growing demand in that country. >> mary thompson at the new york stock exchange, thanks. a heartwarming photo is going viral online for all of the right reasons. on a freezing november night, nypd officer lawrence duprimo saw a homeless man with no shoes or socks. he asked for the man's shoe size and then went into a nearby store and bought him a pair of boots for $75. when he gave the man the shoes, a tourist caught this scene, this image was posted online. the nypd has reposted it on facebook where it has more than 300,000 likes. that's new york city's finest right there. what's black and white and runs all over? well, a zebra on the loose in staten island. that's rocsi, the zebra, with his friend, casper, the pony. the owner left the gate open and they went on the run looking for adventure until they were nabbed about an hour later. their owner blames it on the pony, apparently casper's third attempted escape.
7:15 am
>> it's always the pony. >> troublemaker. very cute. >> it was very cute. you don't see that footage every day. >> not in staten island. >> not exactly their natural environment. thank you. >> you cause a distraction, i'm going to make a break for it. hey, my little pony. >> how you doing? >> i'm doing pretty good. >> have you thawed out from last night? >> yeah, and your voice sounds good. >> talk about thawing out, they're going to be pretty warm in the plain states. we've got a big ridge building in the midsection of the country. so about two-thirds of the country going to be much above normal. look at these temperatures, amarillo 76 degrees, 22 degrees above normal, little rock at 65, kansas city, 62. that's 16 above normal. we're looking at lake effect snow showers around upstate new york, again that heavy rain in the pacific northwest, some fog working its way through the southeast. we'll get your local forecast right after these messages. that's your latest weather.
7:16 am
good thursday morning touchlt well, you made it through the first round of rain. our next window for heavy rain opens up at 5:00 p.m. tonight through 5:00 a.m. tomorrow so count on a very rough drive tomorrow. what you'll notice about the satellite radar is that we just have very light pesky showers and we're not going to see that much rain until later on tonight. the worst rain is right in the heart of your commute tomorrow. it's going to be windy and rainy
7:17 am
through sunday. that's your latest weather. here's savannah. making headlines in london this morning, a bombshell report being released about that phone-hacking scandal involving the british tabloids. nbc's clear sim -- nbc's kooer simmons describes this. good morning to you. >> reporter: hey, savannah. good morning. princes william and harry, actors like hugh grant, members over tony blair's former government, the list of people who claim they have had their privacy invaded is long. cell phone messages, allegedly hacked. >> the license that the tabloid press has had to steal british citizens' privacy for their commercial profit, very often vulnerable british citizen is a scandal. >> reporter: a scandal that led to this inquiry into the behavior of the british press.
7:18 am
and to give evidence, harry porter author, jk rowling. >> such a sense of invasion. >> reporter: journalists even targeted the phone of a murdered 13-year-old school girl and kate mccann, grieving for her missing daughter. >> ultimately violated. you know, i had written these words at the most desperate time in my life. >> reporter: at the wake of the scandal, the mass selling news of the world newspaper shut shut down. its opener, rupert murdoch, appear ted inquiry. >> all i can do is apologize to a lot of people. >> reporter: murdoch also owns media companies, including fox news and 20th century fox, but today's report criticized a failure of management systems at the news of the world. other newspapers have failed too, it said. cnn anchor piers morgan denied phone hacking when he was a tabloid editor but today's
7:19 am
report says stories in too many you newspapers have been the subject of comp plaipts. its recommendation of a new form of self-regulation for newspapers will disappoint some. >> i am proposing independent regulation of the press organized by the press itself with a statutory process to support press freedom, provide stability and guarantee for the naub this new body is independent and effective. >> reporter: but the hope is that new tough regulations will not prevent the press from holding those in power to account. and savannah, the report says that if rupert murdoch didn't know about phone hacking then his u.s.-based news corp racial company has suffered a significant failure of corporate governance. those are words that will be studied closely in the u.s. >> all right, kooer simmons with a lot of questions. thank you. as bhengsd, al has been fighting a case of lar ribbon night jooilt 'tis this week. jay leno noticed this picked up on it and here is the tonight
7:20 am
show last night. >> you know, al roker got a case of laryngitis yesterday morning on the "today" show and sitting next to matt lauer. senate a bit of a germ ma phobe. matt seemed a little paranoid that he was going to catch something from al. well, maybe i'm overreacting. here, take a look. >> what happened? >> well, little laryngitis. >> oh, my goodness, a lot of laryngitis. >> sounds good. >> i don't think it's at all -- >> contagious. >> let me show you -- >> oh, my gosh. >> it wouldn't be funny if it weren't really close to the truth. it was very close. >> you burned that jacket. >> that's gone. i don't have that coat anymore. >> jay leno, i can't unsee that. >> how does he do that? it's amazing. >> well -- >> exactly.
7:21 am
>> that's plenty of that -- >> see -- next time, can we put the purell in an oven next time? it was a little chilly. >> i think i have your loofa. >> most importantly, you're feeling better because now i can actually sit next to you. >> all right. just ahead, after you get that image out of your head, holiday grinches. brazen thieves caught on camera in the middle of the day stealing packages from your front porch.
7:22 am
7:23 am
just ahead, what happened when a college student accidentally forwarded an e-mail meant for his mom to 40,000 fellow students? >> let's just say he heard about it [ doorbell rings ] ♪
7:24 am
[ female announcer ] just for these hectic holidays, mccafé brings you a cup of holiday cheer. ♪ rich peppermint mocha and peppermint hot chocolate. holiday cheer with chocolate on top. ♪ the simple joy of unwinding. ♪ [music] "dance of the sugar plum fairies" ♪ ♪ is efficiently absorbed in small continuous amounts. citracal slow release continuously releases calcium plus d
7:25 am
with efficient absorption in one daily dose. citracal slow release. you...you think these disguises will... no. [ male announcer ] salty. sweet. and impossible to resist. [ male announcer ] salty. sweet. you don't disappear at midnight. and now, you've met your match. revlon colorstay 16 hour eyeshadow. 64 colors that will take you from night to day without smudging, creasing or fading away. it is 7:26. good morning, everybody, i'm jon kelley. police at this hour hunting for a man who broke into a palo alto home startling the woman insight. marla tellez is on the scene in palo alto with brand new
7:26 am
information. mar marla, it's kind of an unusual situation out there. >> reporter: well, these latest details are very disturbing. police saying this woman woke up with this man standing inside her bedroom about 2:20 this morning. after a brief struggle in which the woman hurt her wrist, the man eventually took off. she screamed, he took off. she called 911. police made their way here at the corner of high and hawthorne right at this apartment complex within two minutes of that initial 911 call at 2:20. the suspect is on the loose this morning. police giving very limited information about him. they say that he was wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt or jacket and dark pants. other than that, that is all the information they are giving, so the search continues for him. that is the latest from palo alto, marla tellez. jon, back to you. >> thank you very much for that update. right now let's update you on the weather outside. christina loren is here to tell us calm now, crazy later. >> yeah, that's right. it's still raining out there. it's a good idea to grab your
7:27 am
umbrella but whatever we do have developing at this point is very light and very scattered. so you may get hit with some light showers from fremont all the way to san mateo. also lighthowers in the north bay but this is what we're talking about. the bulk of the moisture from the next storm system comes through 5:00 p.m. tonight through 5:00 a.m. tomorrow morning and they will continue all the way through the first part of tomorrow. 62 degrees in san jose. we keep the rain in the forecast all the way through sunday. some sunshine on monday. let's check on that drive with mike. >> we're looking at 880, must be better northbound past the coliseum after that big rig just cleared over the last 15 minutes at fruitvale. still slow at the bay bridge toll plaza. palo alto southbound 101 jammed south of university. the maps will show you it jams up. there is a stall which resulted in an accident just south into mountain view. your northbound routes slowing. northbound 101 ought 680 going
7:28 am
to complicate things. we'll be back in a half hour with local update. the "today" show rolls on.
7:29 am
♪ there's subtlety and then there is this. that is one way to celebrate the holiday season. you're looking at a home in austin, texas, adorned with more
7:30 am
than 25,000 lights set to the song gangnam style. they might want to try that on the rockefeller tree next year. she is a great-looking tree. i heard conflicting reports, about 30,000 lights, 40,000 lights? >> oh, gosh. well, i think 45,000, but please don't quote me. we're not on tv or anything, right? >> no, not at all. nobody can hear this. you're one of the people who flipped the switch on that tree last night along with al roker. and we're awfully happy to have that tree back with us this morning. >> very exciting. the classic approach, not the "gangnam style," but just ahead, a guy who really likes the song. and it's a robot, he can do the gangnam style we're told. let's see. ♪ obviously gotten dance lessons from matt lauer. >> it's not that bad. >> no, pretty good. that little robot serves a very serious purpose for kids in the classroom. it's not just a dance for him. we'll explain coming up. i could watch that all day.
7:31 am
>> now he looks like me a little bit. all right. also ahead if the robot will cooperate, imagine being introduced to someone by mutual friends, then you discover that person is actually a long lost sibling. it happened to these two young boys in missouri. we'll tell you their story and meet them coming up. >> it's a remarkable story. and then a new warning about dangerous toys just in time for your holiday shopping. what you should look out for on a consumer alert. let us begin with another warning tied to holidays. thieves caught on camera stealing packages delivered to homes all across the country. nbc in houston, texas. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning to you. online shopping has made it easy. you point, you click, and couple days later it's waiting at the front door when you get home from work, except when it isn't. police officers across the country are seeing an uptick in the number of packages that are being stolen after they've already been delivered to the
7:32 am
front porch like these. and sometimes the whole thing, the delivery and theft are captured on a home security camera. the videos are all over the internet. delivery people dropping off packages and then moments later someone walks up and takes the box right off the front doorstep. sometimes the thieves are caught on home surveillance cameras. >> i ordered this package online and then it never showed up after about a week and a half, the package just never showed up. >> reporter: kim had more than $400 worth of clothing stolen that she ordered online. it was delivered, but then it disappeared. all of it captured on a security camera mounted by her front door. >> i mean, the guy really has guts to get out of his car on my street, come on to my property, and take something that belongs to me in broad daylight. >> she filed a police report then posted the video online, but so far no suspects. >> it was as though he was christmas shopping at my house. >> across the country during the
7:33 am
holidays, some 1 billion packages will be delivered. the u.s. postal service had more than 2,000 reported mail thefts last year. as for fedex, it says it has an outstanding reliability record and it's up to law enforcement to investigate thefts. u.p.s. says package theft is extremely rare, so low the company says it doesn't keep statistics. but videos posted online seem to show it still happens. suspected thieves taking everything from adult clothing to a how could they item? a child's bicycle. right off someone's doorstep. >> 'tis the season. we know that, you know, people are ordering packages and they're receiving packages. if they're not going to be home and during the time when they are expecting a parcel that maybe they should reach out to a trusted friend or a neighbor and ask him, would you pick up my parcel for me? >> to avoid theft, many delivery companies offer signature or delivery confirmation services for an additional fee. for kim, it's a lesson learned. >> this was worth about $400.
7:34 am
and i just didn't really think about having this delivered to the office. so i just didn't think somebody would steal a package with clothes in it. >> reporter: yeah, police say thieves are generally looking for electronics and not women's clothes. now, some alternatives, some companies do offer text alerts when your package is delivered, if you have a neighbor who is home, maybe they'll take delivery for you. and if your employer allows it, you could potentially have your packages delivered to work depending on how much you trust your co-workers. it may be less risky to send it home. matt, back to you. >> janet, sad sign of the times. thank you very much. let's get a check of the weather from mr. roker. >> wow, janet actually raising the specter of somebody ripping off at work. that's not any good. let's get as far as your weather is concerned. sunny skies from the mid-atlantic, northeast, gulf coast, however, we are looking at a lot of heavy rain and wind
7:35 am
in the pacific northwest into central california. snow as well in the mountains. then for tomorrow, we expect to see more sunshine in the east. lake effect snow showers from the great lakes, more heavy rain in the pacific northwest, few showers hanging out in southern texa 7:35 on a thursday morning. good morning. i'm meteorologist christina loren. taking a live look from high atop san bruno mountain. overcast skies. we are getting some isolated thunderstorms at this point but the most moisture we will see today won't arrive until later on this evening. a little spotty thunderstorm cell just to the north of livermore. this is what's on waits to the bay area throughout the evening hours. 5:00 p.m. heavy showers move in the north bay progressing to the south. heavy rain continues until 11:00 on friday. >> and that's your latest weather. savannah? >> al, thank you. and this morning on "rossen reports." a new warning about unsafe toys.
7:36 am
how the government is cracking down. today national investigative correspondent jeff rossen is here with more. >> good morning. a lot of people out there holiday shopping. and we are talking about millions of dangerous toys here that are headed right to the stores you may shop in. authorities were able to intercept them before they reached the shelves, but at least one product is still on the market today that officials say could send your child to the hospital. this morning, what you can look for in your home right now to protect your kids. the mad rush to grab the season's hottest toys, but authorities say it's not all child's play. from tricycles -- >> these little fairies cause lacerations -- >> to infant rattles. >> this will go down the throat. >> even these action figures with dangerous levels of lead. authorities recalled dozens of toys this year. and blocked millions more from even getting to stores. >> we see it in the reports, we don't let them in the country.
7:37 am
>> reporter: out this morning with alarming new numbers. 13 kids killed while playing with toys last year alone. with more than 193,000 children injured. one of the major causes, high-powered magnets. kids can't resist. 3-year-old peyton suddenly got sick. >> i really didn't think much of it until later that morning when she started to vomit. and we just thought it was the typical stomach flu. >> it wasn't the flu. peyton had swallowed 37 little magnets called bucky balls. they connected together inside her body squeezing her intestines. here's the x-ray, looks like a bracelet in there. >> they had to make an incision on the stomach to retrieve the magnets. >> reporter: bucky balls are unsafe for children, yet they're still on the market.
7:38 am
>> why can't you recall them and say you can't sell them anymore? >> the company was asked to recall them and the company refused. >> reporter: now they are taking bucky balls to court. the company says it'll fight the lawsuit that the product is marketed to adults and when used properly, people don't get hurt. but now, the feds are cracking down on dangerous toys before they hit the stores. armed with tough new laws, they're inspecting toys right as the shipments come in from overseas. these toys were deemed safe, but 2 million others have been seized. including these action figures, toy guns, and mini motorized cars all with high levels of lead. >> we are targeting these containers. actually opening up the boxes, taking a look at them, tearing them apart, making sure, testing them to the degree that we can on-site that they are, in fact, safe for the consumption of our children. >> reporter: but inspectors only
7:39 am
check a small percentage of toys. officials say it comes down to parents. sometimes the toys are just fine, it's the kids using them wrong. in fact, the number one cause of child injuries last year, kids falling off scooters. >> scooters are incredibly popular, especially in my house, they always have to wear helmets, right? >> absolutely, and you need the knee pads and elbow pads. >> it's not always the toy design, you need the parent watching them. >> safe toy plus supervision equals a happy holiday. >> sure does. the toy industry says safety is a priority and toy companies work with the government and experts to make sure their products are safe. the pest advice here, you want to read the warning labels before you buy any presents. you also want to make sure the toys are age appropriate. and this one is important, you can check to see what toys have been recalled because you may have them in your home right now. we have a link on our website at today.com, go to the rossen reports section, we have it all laid out there for you. you want to do that before you
7:40 am
shop. and some parents have an excuse not to buy any toys. >> that's not the take away of the segment. jeff rossen, thanks so much. just ahead, a major e-mail oops. a college student accidentally hits reply all to nearly 40,000 classmates. but up next, the robots capturing the imaginations of kids in the classroom. pretty cool. right after this. i'm so happy to be marrying your mom. you know that, right? uh-huh. i know this hasn't always been easy for you. and i'm really happy that you're in my life, too. ♪ it's just like yours, mom! [ jane ] behind every open heart is a story. tell yours with my open hearts collection at kay jewelers, the number one jewelry store in america. there are millions of reasons to give one, but the message is always the same. keep your heart open... and love will always find its way in. thank you. thank you. ♪ every kiss begins with kay and there's juicy chicken
7:41 am
best foods is the secret to making parmesan crusted chicken so juicy so delicious it's your secret to making dinner disappear best foods. bring out the best to making dinner disappear ho w do to making dinner disappear edelicious hershey'mooth, with 30% less fat? hershey's simple pleasures chocolate. 30% less fat, 100% delicious. you have a plan? first we're gonna check our bags for free, thanks to our explorer card. then, the united club. my mother was so wrong about you. next, we get priority boarding on our flight i booked with miles. all because of the card. and me. okay, what's the plan? plan? mm-hmm. we're on vacation. there is no plan. really? [ male announcer ] the united mileageplus explorer card. the mileage card with special perks on united. get it and you're in.
7:42 am
i can't breathe, so i can't sleep. and the next day i pay for it. i tried decongestants... i tossed and turned... i even vaporized. and then i fought back with drug-free breathe right. these nasal strips instantly open my nose, like a breath of fresh air. i was breathing and sleeping better. [ female announcer ] exercise your right to breathe right. get two free strips at breatheright.com. hey it's your right to breathe right.
7:43 am
i've got to get breakfast ready for my two leading ladies. while managing their schedule with my producing partner. i set up kid's corner so they can learn and play games without deleting my stuff. "working mom" is sometimes a tough role to play, but it's definitely the one i was born for. [ clattering, children laughing ] and...action. that's me. and this is my windows phone. [ male announcer ] new windows phone. reinvented around you. ♪ reinvented around you. energy is being produced to power our lives. while energy development comes with some risk, north america's natural gas producers are committed to safely and responsibly providing generations of cleaner-burning energy for our country, drilling thousands of feet below fresh water sources within self-contained well systems. and, using state-of-the-art monitoring technologies, rigorous practices help ensure our operations are safe and clean for our communities and the environment. we're america's natural gas.
7:44 am
we're back now, 7:44. with a new approach to help kids learn about emotions using robots in the classroom. this is happening at a school in britain. michelle, good morning. >> reporter: hi, matt. scientists realized by accident that autistic children respond really well to these cute little robots. they teach the children certain skills and help these kids who can have much difficulty communicating come out of their shells. >> it seems a very human trait to be fascinated by robots. >> help me obe -- >> meet this little guy. >> my name is now. i can recognize your face. grab objects. >> they are amazing.
7:45 am
they stand up by themselves, can tell when you're looking at them, which can be a little spooky. >> oh, my gosh, it's giving me the weirdest look. >> memory games. >> but the most amazing thing about these guys made by the french company is how they captured the imaginations -- >> do you want to play again? >> yes. >> -- of the autistic children liketeven and daniel at this british school. >> touch my right hand. congratulations. >> reporter: with the teachers' guidance, the robots teach them to focus, converse, imitate, even pick up on the subtleties of human emotion that these kids struggle to identify. >> let me give you a clue. it may be joy, surprise, or mockery, what's your guess? >> mockery. >> communicating and interacting with a human being, they're trying to do several things at once, words, body language, and
7:46 am
facial expression, that can be difficult for them. >> how does the robot make you feel? >> happy. >> why? >> because he seems happy too. >> she says this idea came by accident after a robotics presentation when a mother became emotional when her autistic son started exuberantly interacting with one, a first for the boy. >> you want to see the kids. >> the program is backed up by research, but you can easily see its effect. >> the joy of it, really. these children who sometimes struggle to interact with the teachers and other people, but for some reason they will quite happily interact with a robot. >> 6-year-old owen who started here very insular saw the robot and immediately asked if he could hold its hand, take it for a walk, stunning his teachers and parents. owen got his walk with the robot much to his delight.
7:47 am
>> well, the appeal of these robots seems to be their simplicity and predictability. but the goal is to help these children interact better with humans and that seems to be happening. some of the kids now have more self-confidence, and two of the kids in autistic programs are now completely in mainstream classes. was there something you wanted to add? >> i love being on stage. thank you, matt and savannah. >> michelle, thank you very much. and now thank you very much, we've had a lot of robots on this show over the years. this is the most incredible one i've ever seen. >> it really is. >> so he can think, speak, feel, hear. he apparently does yoga, i just saw him do an incredibly acrobatic move. >> did you see when he was doing "gangnam style" and started to do the dance, the balance he has, goes to the side, doesn't tip over and how he can stand up on his own using one hand. >> i can't do that. >> it's amazing. you could see how it would be -- it would really work with kids who have autism.
7:48 am
it is just so amazing to see a toy do something like that. to be able to connect at that level. >> and completely focuses your attention. >> absolutely. >> it's impossible to take your eyes off him when he's moving. >> fascinating, but not intimidating for those kids. >> we want it for christmas. >> the price point's a little bit high. >> can you imagine how popular it would be -- >> how popular you would be with your kid. >> thank you. we love you, thanks for coming on. >> matt and savannah, we'll be right back. >> oh. >> i like the moves. ecurity. anncr: but you deserve straight talk about the options on the... table and what they mean for you and your family. ancr: aarp is cutting through all the political spin. because for our 37 million members, only one word counts. get the facts at earnedasay.org. let's keep medicare... and social security strong for generations to come.
7:49 am
i made the clear choice. i'm getting claritin clear with claritin-d. nasal congestion keep me away ? not since i made the clear choice. non-drowsy claritin-d. decongestant products on the shelf can take hours to start working. claritin-d starts to work in just 30 minutes. i can't wait hours for a nasal decongestant. that's why i made the clear choice and got claritin-d. it has the best decongestant for colds. this cold season, get claritin-d at the pharmacy counter. live claritin clear.
7:50 am
bp has paid overthe people of bp twenty-threeitment to the gulf. billion dollars to help those affected and to cover cleanup costs. today, the beaches and gulf are open, and many areas are reporting their best tourism seasons in years. and bp's also committed to america. we support nearly 250,000 jobs and invest more here than anywhere else. we're working to fuel america for generations to come. our commitment has never been stronger. get to sears 48 hour sale this friday and saturday. whatever it takes, save 50% off sweaters, or more with pass. and get this toshiba 32" lcd for $249.99. plus, members can get $10 in points. this is how to gift. this is sears.
7:51 am
he is a good little monkey and always very curious. one day george got an important letter... he's built a rocket ship to travel into space. girl: google, how far is earth to the moon? google voice response: moon is 238,900 miles... mother vo: the great moment had come... ...3...2...1. ♪ well, ever hit reply all on an e-mail accidentally? a student at new york university did that on monday when he was trying to forward a message from the school to his mom. >> what happened, instead, it went out to nearly 40,000 students and led to what's being called reply-allpacolypse. can you imagine this young man's
7:52 am
fear when -- first of all, it wasn't anything -- >> thank goodness it was nothing that embarrassing. >> goes out to 40,000 students. >> and then people start replying to it so the chain goes on and on and some people are snarky, some people are funny. there's an example. would you rather -- rhetorical question, would you rather fight 100 duck-sized horses or one horse-sized duck? >> i'll stop if he stops. >> education is wasted on you. you cannot learn. you're lost. >> we've all been there. we've all done it. >> we're out of time. [ jessica ] my days are action packed.
7:53 am
i've got to get breakfast ready for my two leading ladies. while managing their schedule with my producing partner. i set up kid's corner so they can learn and play games without deleting my stuff. "working mom" is sometimes a tough role to play, but it's definitely the one i was born for. [ clattering, children laughing ] and...action. that's me. and this is my windows phone. [ male announcer ] new windows phone. reinvented around you. ♪ reinvented around you. ♪me and you - a little rendezvous.♪ ♪that special something that will carry you through...♪
7:54 am
♪that little reward for all the things you do.♪ luscious, creamy filling - combined with our slow melting chocolate - the one and only ghirardelli squares chocolate. for all the things you do. ghirardelli. moments of timeless pleasure. try our caramel, now with sea salt. when we got married. i had three kids. and she became the full time mother of three. it was soccer, and ballet, and cheerleading, and baseball. those years were crazy. so, as we go into this next phase, you know, a big part of it for us is that there isn't anything on the schedule. for their annual football trip. that's double miles you can actually use.
7:55 am
tragically, their buddy got sacked by blackouts. but it's our tradition! that's roughing the card holder. but with the capital one venture card you get double miles you can actually use. [ cheering ] any flight, anytime. the scoreboard doesn't lie. what's in your wallet? hut! i have me on my fantasy team. the time is 7:56. good morning, everybody, i'm jon kelley. police right now hunting for a man who broke into a palo alto home and startled a woman inside. marla tellez is in palo alto with the latest. that is not the story we need. people all over the bay area bracing for the next wave of rain and wind because the storm is expected to bring in a whole new set of problems.
7:56 am
it's been rough the last 24 hours. high winds knocking down trees all across the bay area yesterday with the ground just saturated out there. downed trees could be more of a problem today and tomorrow. in san jose, crews have those sandbags out there and are ready and the city making sure everything is in order, checking all of the storm water pumps to make sure they are in full effect and working. for a look at how that storm will affect this area, let's turn it over to meteorologist christina loren. good morning. >> hey, good morning to you, jon. good morning to you at home. what i can tell you is we do have some light showers out there, even some pop-up thunderstorms. one just to the north of livermore but this is actually our first significant break. this is going to be the most significant break that we have all the way throughout the upcoming weekend, so keep that in mind. look at what is on its way as we head throughout tonight. we have a lot of rain on the way, just as jon pointed out. our grounds are saturated and we're going to get even stronger winds throughout the day today. we already have pretty strong winds in san jose at 17 miles
7:57 am
per hour. highs today in the 60s. we'll keep the rain in the forecast all the way through the weekend and it returns on wednesday. let's check on your drive with mike. focusing on the paendeninsua really rough ride. you see the sign marked oregon expressway, that's where an accident just cleared from lanes. it was there for a half hour. look at the map how slow it is coming out of redwood city all the way down to the scene. the northbound side of the commute as well as distractions so use el camino or 280 as your alternate. it just continues to build. >> we'll have another local news update in one-half hour from right now. we'll see you then.
7:58 am
7:59 am
♪ merry christmas baby 8:00 now on this thursday morning, it's november 29th, 2012. it's a beautiful day on the plaza. and i have to say, made all the more lovely by the 45,000 lights that are currently adorning that
8:00 am
gorgeous tree. >> and the music in the background. the one and only -- >> rod stewart. >> which, by the way, we're going to hear from rod stewart in a few minutes. it's gorgeous and we have a great, happy crowd all bundled up and all ready to party on our plaza. i'm savannah gurthrie alongside matt lauer and al roker. we all love our coffee around here, there's a new starbucks coffee that apparently costs $7. >> insane. >> i hope a lot of caffeine. >> a little gold on top? >> i don't know. >> is it a special kind of coffee? >> it just costs $7. >> by the time we do that segment, we're going to know a lot more about that. >> maybe it's your segment. >> i hope not. also ahead, a remarkable story. a couple of boys have a chance encounter at a swimming pool, they're from missouri, and you're acting like you're brothers, turns out, they were brothers. it's remarkable. we're going to tell you more
8:01 am
about that. >> unbelievable story. and also a list we have a lot of fun talking about. what are the big baby names of 2012? we will reveal the top ten, see who the movers and shakers are in the name department and we'll see where our names rank. >> i understand savannah's rocketing up. >> it's actually down this year, if you must know, sadly. >> albert's probably not on the list. >> no, it's like 1,000. hey, and paul rudd is here. we love this guy. he's here to tell us all about his return to broadway, a new movie, and what else he's got it's a limited edition co premium coffee that costs $7. that's why we're talking about it. >> it just came in. >> all right. >> coffee central. let's go inside, natalie's standing by with a check of the headlines. >> and i have more on that coffee and trending. good morning. america is waiting to find out who owns the two winning tickets sold for last night's $587
8:02 am
million power ball drawing, that's the largest power ball jackpot ever. one ticket sold in arizona, the other in missouri. lottery officials don't know if they belong to individuals or were purchased by groups. the winning numbers again are 5, 16, 22, 23, 29, with the power ball number 6. treasury secretary tim geithner is holding talks about avoiding the year-end fiscal cliff of tax hikes and spending cuts. republicans are asking for more details from the white house about how president obama would curb the growth of benefit programs like medicare and medicaid. the woman who could be nominated as the next secretary of state got a big show of support wednesday in the face of growing republican criticism. president obama called susan rice extraordinary and said he couldn't be more proud of the job she's done representing the u.s. at the united nations. and outgoing secretary of state hillary clinton said rice has done a great job. rice has been under fire, though, for her initial comments
8:03 am
about the deadly september attack on the u.s. consulate in libya. president obama welcomes election rival mitt romney to the white house today. they'll have a private lunch together. the president promised in his victory speech to meet with romney after their bitter campaign and consider his ideas for making government more efficient. and yet another arrest this morning for lindsay lohan. the troubled starlet was charged with assault around 4:00 a.m. in manhattan. she allegedly punched another woman in the face at a new york city nightclub. the other woman was not arrested and was not taken to the hospital. and now for a look at what's trending today. our quick round-up of what has you talking online. jimmy kimmel's going viral with this blind taste test, mocking starbucks' new $7 a cup premium coffee. >> which is the super premium and why? >> i want to say it's this one because it has more of a richer taste. it tastes stronger, more premium, i guess. >> okay. i should mention that we didn't
8:04 am
even bother to get the $7 coffee. we got a pot of regular coffee and poured the exact same coffee in both cups. >> if you don't want to spend the $7 for a cup, you can buy an 8-ounce bag of beans for $40. still kind of pricey. well, these pictures from terry richardson's websites are trending everywhere. and they have people asking what happened to jared leto? the actor apparently is fasting and had his eyebrows shaved for his role as a transsexual woman with aids in the movie "dallas buyers club." and basketball great lebron james was as proud as any dad would be watching his son sink this trick shot from a balcony. take a look. wow. lebron jr. just 8 years old, sign him up. he's got his dad's talent for sure. 8:05, let's go back outside to al with a check of the weather.
8:05 am
not a bad trick shot. >> all in the genes, very nice. thanks so much, nat. let's see what we've got for you. we'll start off with our pick city of the day, quincy, illinois. sunny, mild, 57 degrees. take a look at our friends in the pacific northwest into northern california over the next 24 to 72 hours, they're going to get slammed with heavy wind, rain, and snow. locally, some areas picking up to 15 inches of snow, but generally anywhere from 4 to 8 inches of rain. and then snowwise, we're talking about anywhere from 6 to 12 inches of snow in the tetons, the saw toout, the sierras, the mt. shasta region. and the cascade mountains. a real w good thursday morning to you. the time now, 8:06. we actually have some light showers coming down over parts of the bay area. but the birds soaring. and you know what they don't do
8:06 am
that if it's stormy. that's a good indication that we are going to stay relatively dry. the bulk of our moisture from our next heavy round of rain sheas offshore in the bay area at least until this evening. but we're going to bring this in at about 5:00 p. in the north bay. showers spreading into the south bay throughout tomorrow morning. and winds still pretty gusty out there. temps in the 60s today. more rain tomorrow. coming up, a remarkable story. the two boys who met by chance and found out they're brothers. we'll have that right after this.
8:07 am
look, honey... it's santa. i have the perfect gift for you. oh...santa. [ male announcer ] the charmed memories collection at kay jewelers. each charm is hand-crafted in italy, and with hundreds of charms to choose from, you can turn your special moments into charmed memories. this weekend, get this free charmed memories bracelet or a charm valued up to $45 with any charmed memories purchase of $100 or more. at kay, the number one jewelry store in america. these are for me, right? ♪ every kiss begins with kay [ male announcer ] it's that time of year again. medicare open enrollment. time to compare plans and costs. you don't have to make changes. but it never hurts to see if you can find better coverage,
8:08 am
save money, or both. and check out the preventive benefits you get after the health care law. ♪ open enrollment ends december 7th. so now's the time. visit medicare.gov or call 1-800-medicare. and now -- i got a great new way to get deals. it's called bankamerideals, from bank of america. i choose the cash back deals in my mobile or online banking. i just use my bank of america debit or credit card when i pay. and i get as much as 15% cash back -- put into my account. this is on top of other rewards and discounts i already get. best of all -- it's free. happy holidays. [ male announcer ] introducing bankamerideals, free for online banking customers. sign in to your online banking to choose your deals today.
8:09 am
and we're back now at 8:10 with a chance meeting that brought two long lost brothers together again.
8:10 am
nbc's kerry sanders is out in washington, missouri, with that story. good morning to you. >> reporter: well, good morning, matt. this is an amazing story of unexpected crossed paths. two strangers, really, boys at the swimming pool doing what boys sometimes do, horseplaying around when one of their friends said you two are fighting like brothers. that's when isaac and dakota wondered, might it be true? >> reporter: at first glance, who would guess these siblings had not grown up together? they like the same sports, love the same video games, even dress alike. but until recently, the brothers wither strangers. >> my name is isaac and i'm 12. >> i'm dakota and i'm 13. >> and my brother is dakota. >> my brother is isaac. >> that isaac from rural washington, missouri, and dakota from augusta, only 12 miles away met is one of those chance events in life that makes you wonder if fate really exists. for ten years, isaac who didn't
8:11 am
know he was adopted and dakota who was being raised by his grandmother lived oh so close, but never crossed paths. one day at the community swimming pool, they started splashing each other. >> i kept splashing and he goes, why are you backing up? why you backing up? >> what? you scared? he kept on saying, no. >> what does somebody say to you about the way you're fighting? this friend says what? >> he says you're fighting like brothers and stuff. >> and i look at isaac and at first i'm like, well, he sort of looks like me and stuff. so i was starting to get curious. >> reporter: the type of curiosity that only two boys would so openly examine. >> here's my nose and his, same size. >> while friend jayden says they laugh alike, walk alike and even at times talk alike. isaac had to be sure. >> i went to go ask my mom. i asked her. >> and he looked at me and he
8:12 am
says -- am i adopted and do i have a brother? >> and she said. >> what makes you think that? >> i said i met my brother. and we started crying the whole night. >> i was just really happy that i knew that i found my brother now. >> the first halloween together. >> there are some snapshots of the two brothers together as toddlers before their birth mother and father unexpectedly died. their grandmother who was raising dakota had always wondered how after so many years she could bring him together with isaac who had been adopted. >> to have all my grand kids together, it's like a miracle. >> reporter: an improbable series of events that's not lost on these two young brothers who aren't sure what to make of this old photo other than brotherly love. is a connection that was never really broken. >> reporter: as anybody who has a brother knows, you love them until you hate them and both isaac and dakota say they have already had some great knock
8:13 am
down, dragout fight, but both of them say they couldn't be happier to have someone to wrestle with. >> nice story. kerry, thank you very much. up next, paul rudd in our studio, we'll talk about his return to broadway and a new film he's got coming out. and then pop culture's big influence on the top baby names of the year. we'll tell you about them after these messages. get to sears 48 hour sale this friday and saturday. whatever it takes, save 50% off sweaters, or more with pass. and get this toshiba 32" lcd for $249.99.
8:14 am
plus, members can get $10 in points. this is how to gift. this is sears. but i still have a runny nose. [ male announcer ] dayquil doesn't treat that. huh? [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus rushes relief to all your worst cold symptoms, plus it relieves your runny nose. [ sighs ] thank you! [ male announcer ] you're welcome. that's the cold truth! [ male announcer ] you're welcome. he is a good little monkey and always very curious. one day george got an important letter... he's built a rocket ship to travel into space. girl: google, how far is earth to the moon? google voice response: moon is 238,900 miles... mother vo: the great moment had come... ...3...2...1. ♪ nexxus salon hair care combats 8 signs of aging hair. unveiling 2013, new nexxus youth renewal elixir.
8:15 am
go online for your complimentary bottle before it hits stores in january. so all of you do. yes, for sure. now what's better? being able to shoot two lasers out of both of your eyes at the same time or just one laser out of one eye? [ all kids ] two! [ moderator ] okay, why? if it's just one beam -- okay, it does a little bit of damage. two beams -- it will make something explode! and that's more fun? yeah! and it's more powerful you're saying? yeah! [ male announcer ] it's not complicated. doing two things at once is better. and only at&t's network lets you talk and surf on your iphone 5. ♪
8:16 am
[ man ] tell me about that. [ phil ] katie and i talked about really committing to making a difference in the amount of gas that we use. she was using 8 to 10 tankfuls. i was using 5 tankfuls. now i use one tankful a month, and she may use about two. it drives like a sports car. it handles very well. people are a little surprised that a hybrid zipped by them the way that i do. [ male announcer ] see phil's story and more at the camry effect. camry from toyota. back now at 8:17 with the top baby names of 2012. baby center is out with the analynual list this morning. linda, good morning. >> hi, savannah. >> you're our baby name expert. >> i am. >> drum roll, please. let's do the top girl names of
8:17 am
2012. the top ten. oh, we even got the drum roll. that wasn't even planned. >> the number one girls' name of the year is sophia. it's not that exciting. new to the top ten is mia, a little bit of a surprise for us. >> cute name. and we've seen a lot of these. isabella's been in the top ten for a long time now. >> it has. and one of the thing is, moms really like feminine names and we see a lot of crossovers. >> they're all winners. now let's look at -- by the way, i should ask you, savannah, on the way up or way down? >> on the way down, a little bit. >> but in the top 100? >> yes, it is. >> correct. >> anyway, moving on. boys' names, while. >> it has. it has been for eight years. number one is you can spell it in 45 different ways literally. and moms love it, especially single moms. new this year for the boys is jack. jack is new to the top ten.
8:18 am
>> i'm surprised about that because i feel like i'm always meeting little jacks. good to know. now let's get to the fun stuff. popularity of the names that are referencing pop culture. i couldn't believe when i read this "fifty shades of grey"? >> earlier this year we heard moms telling us this book is an aphrodisiac and helping them get pregnant. so it was not a surprise to us to see these names coming up on the list. grey is up, anastasia is up and ana. the one that is not up is christian. >> i'm not surprised. if you've read the book. i don't know if you want to name your son that. >> and i'm wondering how the moms are going to explain the inspiration for these names in a few years. >> the royals, two names up harry and pippa. >> people love harry and pippa, they're a little bit less in the spotlight than will and kate. we also have harry stiles from one direction. >> we did see some one direction popular names. let's keep with our list, will and kate? >> they're on the decline. i think they're just a little overexposed now, and these names are so associated with these two people.
8:19 am
but, you know, all eyes are going to be on them if there is a pregnancy and it'll be very interesting to see what they name the baby. >> let's get into what i consider a little bit kooky. names referencing technology. apple we've seen, i get it. mac and siri. >> we hadn't seen apple rise when gweneth paltrow named her daughter. a big surprise, someone named a baby hashtag, which, i think that's a little much for a girl. and 20 years from now, who's going to know what a hashtag is. >> well, i guess hash for short. another trend, space exploration. we've got a whole list of names there. >> we do. it was a big year for space, we had the mars rover, mars is on the rise, red is on the rise, red planet, sky, star, luna, even sally, sally ride died this year, neil armstrong died this
8:20 am
year. people are inspired by space. >> uma thurman named her daughter luna. that is uma thurman's daughter's name. they just call her luna for short. political names, the name reagan. >> yes. >> shot up. >> reagan shot up, he had a big year. it's also used often for a girl's name. carter's up, lincoln. you've got to go back in history a little bit to see presidential names on the rise. >> we did see nixon on the list and on the rise. >> there's another reason for nixon, there's a skateboarding and snowboarding culture. there's a brand there and the young people like that. >> but the current presidential candidate's names? >> mitt, barack, all down. paul and joe too. >> paul and joe, too. nobody was inspired by those names. >> it's always kind of fascinating. thank you so much. appreciate it. >> thank you. >> now here's matt. thanks very much. paul rudd is keeping himself awfully busy this holiday season. he's got a new movie coming out and he's also returned to broadway in the play "the
8:21 am
grace." he portrays a guy named steve a guy who wants to open a chain of gospel-themed hotels but gets involved in a real estate scam. welcome back. >> thank you. >> you've got a movie coming out, we know that. you could be making movie after movie after movie, why did you decide this was a time to get back to broadway? >> well, it had been several years since i'd done a play. and i like doing them. and i liked the play when i read it and it just kind of worked out. i wanted to do it. >> and you've got all the confidence you know the scripts will still be out there when you want to get back to making movies. >> oh, i don't know if that'll happen. >> you've got a pretty good resume. i love the way this play opens. with the main -- all the main characters dead on the stage as the play opens. so for peoplwho like their broadway shows short, this is a really good one. >> yeah, where do you go from there? >> but you rewind. >> yeah, the first scene is actually in reverse. not reverse at the end of the
8:22 am
play is at the beginning, but we actually move backward. we say our lines backwards, it's a very strange way to open a show. >> then the audience is told how you end up with this catastrophic final scene. >> yeah. you see how we get there. >> the reviews are really good. a couple of them i'll read to you. this one it says mesmerizing, a strangely entertaining play with a spectacular quartet of actors. how about this one? a deeply thoughtful black comedy with a crackerjack cast, paul rudd is wondrous. >> well, that's very nice. >> that could sell some tickets right there, huh? >> i hope so. it's fun to do. >> there was a member of your audience who had his own review not long ago. he was sitting in the balcony. >> yeah. >> you tell the story. >> well, apparently he just threw up all over the people sitting below. yeah. >> in the middle -- >> front row of the mezzanine to
8:23 am
just kind of lean over and -- i hope it wasn't a critique. >> in the middle of the show. >> in the middle of the show right as i started a big monologue. >> and you were aware this had happened? >> well, i was aware something had happened, i didn't know what it was exactly, but there was a lot of kind of gasping -- there was gasping and some yelling and it didn't subside and i didn't know what was going on. >> apparently this member of the audience had been inbibing before coming to the show? >> that's what i heard. >> you went on letterman's show, you did a top ten list about this audience member and this incident. number nine, not my worst review. number four, i'll never complain about a cell phone ring again. and number one, i guess i'm not the only one who's drunk. >> yeah. i've been able to kind of hold in my vomit, but i've been loaded when i do the show. >> how do you go on in a show when you realized what's happened? i know the show must go on is the expression. but that's not easy. >> there was a split second
8:24 am
where i thought, do i stop? do i just stop and make sure that everybody -- >> do i get the lysol? >> well, at first because we didn't know what was happening, we then realized we could've used lysol about a scene later. >> you have a new movie coming out and it's "this is 40." tell me about that. >> well, it's kind of a spinoff of the characters that leslie mann and i play in "knocked up." and we're both turning 40, and it focuses on the week in our lives and deals with getting older, dealing with your parents, dealing with your kids and dealing with each other. >> any autobiographical elements considering it wasn't long ago you passed the milestone? >> that's right. >> so there are some? >> oh, there's a few -- there's a few. there are a few similarities in my own life in this film, but most of it's fiction. >> as i mentioned, you're a busy guy, not only with the new movie coming up but doing great on broadway. nice to have you here. >> nice to be here. happy holidays. >> you, too.
8:25 am
>> and "grace" is currently running at the court theater on broadway. and coming up, a live performance from rod stewart in our studio. but first, these messages and your local news. messages and your local news. good thursday morning to you. it's 8:26. i'm laura garcia-cannon. apple may be planting roots in santa clara. they are breaking ground on a mini campus a stone's throw away
8:26 am
from cupertino. the site will reportedly have two buildings and house 1,200 or more workers. they are custom-building the campus accelerated to be done in mid 2014. apple has outgrown space in cupertino and has expanded into sunnyvale. slowing south through the ker curves here. but the roads haven't dried out completely from yesterday's rain. looking at the peninsula, 101 here, this is a slowdown through san mateo toward 92. 92 itself, both directions, congested. into palo alto out of redwood city, after the earlier accident finally cleared over the last 20 minutes, very slow heading down toward the oregon expressway where the accident occurred. other side of the bay, slow 880. you might have some slippery roads. coming out of the sunol and maybe in the trivalley as well.
8:27 am
another local news update for you in half an hour. some girls wish to grow up to be a princess.
8:28 am
other girls wish to simply grow up. mae and bailey are friends battling kidney cancer at st. jude children's research hospital. we developed a treatment for their cancer that's helping kids like them across america. you know what i wish for? what's that honey? my hair back. and no more cancer. well, girls, st. jude is working on that. go to st. jude dot org or shop where ever you see the st. jude logo.
8:29 am
8:30 am
♪ oh weather outside is frightful ♪ and we're back now, 8:30 on a thursday morning. it's the 29th day of november 2012, it's a pufl day in the northeast. always a beautiful day. starting to collect gifts as part of our 19th annual toys for tots. paul rudd starring on broadway in a brand new movie. and he's collecting toys, we appreciate it. got great celebrities, all generous and willing to chip in on the holiday season. >> and we've got a lot of folks with toys this morning, which is great. >> appreciate that. by the way, you can also donate online. you can go to our website today.com and find out more about that. i'm matt lauer along with savannah gurthrie. natalie morales and al roker. >> mr. rod stewart, coming your way. the legend himself is there in
8:31 am
splendor. >> love that jacket. >> can we mention? he was part of the tree lighting last night? he was wearing a similar jacket. >> similar. >> but this is a guy who knows how to dress and walked up to me today and said, by the way, i want people to know, this is not the same jacket. he didn't stay out all night. >> this is a longer coat. >> i might have to start having to tweet. he's got a christmas album and going to share a song with us just ahead. and we've also got -- it's the season for tipping. now that's -- how much do you dip your hairdresser? well, i don't have a hairdresser, but how much do you tip your kids' coaches, tutors, we're going to get into all that. also, if a pet maybe sounds like a good gift for the holidays, well, you're in luck, beautiful dogs and some pets this time too for in our bow to wow series with jill rappaport. >> mr. roker, how about a check of the weather? let's see what we've got for you as we look ahead to the weekend.
8:32 am
chilly conditions in the northeast and new england on saturday. more heavy rain in the pacific northwest with mountain snows, plenty of sunshine through the gulf coast. rain in the western great lakes. sunday -- sunday, more rainmaking its way into upstate new york, pennsylvania, the ohio river valley, and again, the pacific northwest continues to get socked. plenty of sunshine through the gulf on into florida. that's what' good thursday morning to you. the time is 8:32. taking a live look over mostly cloudy skies over san francisco. not getting any rain here at this point. we have some light showers moving through the south bay. you'll generally see this trend on and off pesky showers throughout the day until the main event arrives. that will come in about 5:00 p.m. this evening. showers getting heavy through tomorrow morning's commute. going to be a rough one. on saturday into sunday, expecting a lot of rainfall. monday, a break. more rain moves in on wednesday. don't forget, you can get that weather any time you need it, go to the weather channel on
8:33 am
cable or weather.com online. now, let's head to willard scott for those birthdays. hey, willie. >> it's nice to be outside and smell the sweet fall air. love the smell of leaves. i love that. happy birthday from smuckers. speaking of good things, raymond ross of bassett, virginia, right down the road from hound, virginia. get it? bassett hound. 100 years old today, very handy, the man is incredible, one of those people that can fix anything. the man's a genius. elsie totten, 100 years old today, bingo is her thing and she loves to sew. katherine pingitore 100 years old today, enjoys a little scotch on the rocks. there was a time, friends, believe me, hallelujah. we have henry several of
8:34 am
deerfield beach, florida, proud world war ii veteran. loves to say he helped defend his country when he was needed. here is catherlean smith 101 years old out of steubenville, i think dean martin's old hometown. gardening in is her thing and she loves to work in the backyard. can't beat that. outside's the best. johanna staley of williamsburg, virginia. beautiful town, rockefeller, they put their money in that -- unbelievable. 106, longevity secret, vodka, vodka and butter, but not together. i love butter. real butter. butter's butter, right? whole milk and butter. that's it. that's all. butter. now back to new york. >> all right, willard. thank you very much. who gets cash and who gets gifts? we're going to have some tips on holiday tipping. but first, this is "today" on nbc.
8:35 am
8:36 am
8:37 am
back now at 8:37. 'tis the holiday season, and you want to thanks to everybody from your hairdresser to your mail carrier, but when it comes to tipping, how much should you give? the age-old question. here with advice nbc analyst heatha. does it matter how much you tip by geographic area? i think a little goes a long way in some places, but not in others. >> well, yeah, obviously if you're in new york city, you're going to want to tip more because the cost of living is a little bit higher versus if you live in a small town, as in new mexico, where i'm from, you want to tip a little less. you really want to base it on, you know, your economic -- if you feel economically comfortable and giving and as well as, you know, where you are located and what you feel
8:38 am
comfortable with. >> a lot of people want to give -- sometimes people have the theory if you don't give you're not going to get good service for the rest of the year. times are tough, if you're on a limited budget, is it ever to give say, food or a do-it-yourself or something more the thought that counts? >> well, i'm a big proponent of giving food, especially if you do a do-it-yourself, because you can wrap it nicely. but you really should, i guess, caution, ask if that person has food aller eergieallergies. you might ensure bad service for the next year. >> tips come in all forms, could be cash, could be a gift. your mail carrier can't accept cash. >> mail carriers can't accept cash, and if you are giving them a gift, it can only be under $20. now, i'm particularly close to my mail carrier, we share recipes all the time. so maybe a cookbook that's under $20, good gift for them. >> i know there's a category of people you think it's good to give, if you can, a tip and a gift. i guess first is the people that provide child care. that's an important one. >> they're running around with
8:39 am
your kids and giving a lot of great service and if you have a babysitter, for example, maybe you would want to give them maybe a day or two's worth of pay. but if you have a nanny full-time, you want to do it on a scaling of scale. maybe a week's worth or pay or month's worth depending on how long they've been with you. >> do you tip the coaches, tutors, and after school instructors. >> maybe if it was -- stay between a number of $20 and $100. and, again, if you're really close to that person if they're going above and beyond, go ahead and do that. but you can also add a personalized gift in for them. >> what do you do about the child's teacher? and what if your child's at an age with multiple teachers? >> well, if you have a child's teacher that has been with that child for all yearlong, you know, they can't accept cash for gifts, obviously, you might want to do a personalized gift, you know. for example, my sister in the seventh grade had a friend of mine as her science teacher, my mom took my yearbook down, took a picture of his picture, xeroxed it, put it in a frame
8:40 am
from senior year and gave it to him in this beautiful frame. it was psonalized and he loved it. but if you have multiple teachers, you don't have to give all those teachers a gift. >> yeah. makes sense. >> if you have an assistant, what factors do you think about when you're talking about a tip? >> well, that really depends on your position in the company and how long that assistant has been with you. now, if it were up to me and i wanted to make sure those calls were screened properly, i would bump that up. >> doormen, do you give to all of the doormen? sometimes you live in a big building there's 10 or 15. >> most of us live in doormen-staffed building. if you don't want to necessarily play favorites, but at the same time, you know, if someone's been helpful or more helpful than others, you might want to give them a gift. also, these buildings have pools. so you could pool together, you know, your money. it's anonymous, they don't know how much you're giving, therefore they kind of pool together and divvy it up between the ten doormen. >> the hair stylist and colorist. >> super important. yes, you want to tip them the
8:41 am
amount is as much as you pay for a haircut. and then if they do your color, as well, tip them a little bit more, and, you know, if you want to add in a personal gift for them, that's great too. you know, just a handbag or maybe monogrammed scissors. >> you'reky luc enough to hav a housekeeper, what's ght to tip? >> they obviously are taking care of your house and family. i would do maybe a week's worth of pay there, or if they have a service, you wouldn't go ahead and tip. >> well, a lot of people are short on cash around the holidays for these reasons. is it okay to ever do the tip after christmas? and how long can you wait? >> right. i love this. you're right. people may be short on cash. you may want to give a little bit before the holiday and then maybe pick a time after the holiday like father's day and give the rest of the cash. you'll be the only one that's doing that and the one that stands out. >> good advice. thank you so much. and coming up next, dogs and cats go from bow and meow to wow. this is "today" on nbc.
8:42 am
8:43 am
8:44 am
♪ well, we are back with "from bow to wow," where we give shelter dogs an extreme makeover and find them a new home. jill rappaport is here. good morning to you. >> hi, savannah, we're thrilled to say we're still at 100%, yay, we have placed every animal, thanks to you, our wonderful viewers. and today we have three bow to wow beauties and two meow to wow angels left homeless because of superstorm sandy. >> we are back here at animal care and control in new york city where sadly the cages are still full with wonderful little doggies like this little guy. he is a handsome and a beauty. rocky is what? a spaniel docson mix? >> yeah, and rescued as a stray. >> he's so sweet and energetic.
8:45 am
can you see his tail is going a mile a minute? wonderful dog for children and families. this beautiful boy is charlie. >> charlie's a 6-month-old, still a puppy. >> and so affectionate and just perfect for this weather because it is cold. >> he's got a coat on, doesn't he? >> this 1-year-old poodle mix named cotton ball is so sweet, but she is a little frightened, right? >> yeah, found her hiding underneath a car. someone rescued her. >> she's in great shape, wasn't injured. >> and she's been adjusting really, really well. >> and finally we have meow to wow. and these little angels lucy and simba are survivors from superstorm sandy, but tragically their owners lost everything, their home, and now they're up for adoption. >> we'd like to keep them together since they came in together and they're both 1-year-old. >> they deserve to stay together considering everything they've gone through, right? >> and as always, we have
8:46 am
richard with us from animal care control. happy holidays. without further adieu, let's meet charlie. >> very rare, coming into the shelters, 6 months old, very, very intelligent, easily trained, sitting back -- >> just like matt. >> well, i don't know about easily trained. housebroken, though, for both of them. >> beautiful, right? >> what's the temperament for charlie? >> very good with kids, other dogs, all around great dog. >> active. and about as big as he'll get? >> maybe a little bit bigger, but not much. >> charlie, thank you. matt, you too. our next dog is rocky, he's being walked by our stage director mark. rocky's one. >> and he's an absolute ball of energy, has not stopped since we've gotten here. always out -- wants to meet everybody, jumping and moving around. but, again, another dog that would be good with kids, very
8:47 am
friendly with other dogs, as well. another great all around dog. >> and so affectionate. very cute. what mix do we think? >> maybe a little spaniel. >> jill found another friend. all right. >> i know, exactly. >> get another dog. okay. cotton ball was found hiding under a car. there's how she looked before. and here's the extreme makeover. looking great. with one of our audience members. our viewers donna from georgia. do you like cottonball. >> love cottonball. >> cute. >> don't put that hat on her. >> i know. >> cottonball has a short coat, that's why we have the towel on her to keep her warm. another dog that has been great with other dogs, friendly with other dogs, good around kids. so -- very affectionate as you can see. >> i see. >> very curious and active and likes to play fetch. >> all right. and thank you.
8:48 am
and let's bring out our kitty cats, lucy and simba rescued from the shelter. jackie and natalie are carrying these guys. >> they were displaced during the storm. their owner's house was destroyed during hurricane sandy and they had to give them up. we're looking for an awesome home for them. >> hopefully they can stay together. >> bring out all the animals and say thank you. and go to today.com to find out how to adopt. >> don't shop, adopt. coming up next, a great performance for the holidays from rod stewart.
8:49 am
8:50 am
the toyota concert series on "today" brought to you by toyota. >> rod stewart has been entertaining the world for five decades now with hit songs like "maggie mae" and "forever young," and now he's out with his first christmas album called "merry christmas baby." good morning. good to have you back. >> morning, my friend. >> if i came up to you in 1971 and i said in the year 2012, you're going to have a christmas album and you're going to still be going at it. would you thought i was crazy? >> i would tell you to behave yourself. >> can you imagine what's been happening over these five decades? >> i'm a very, very lucky guy, privileged. >> when did you decide to do a christmas album and choose from
8:51 am
the hundreds? this is when david foster gets his due. the one and only david foster. >> genius. >> david chose all the songs and the artists to be on the album. >> and any of the duets stand out to you you think were great? >> well, a moving experience for me because i was a fan when i was 17. and it wasn't very popular to me, a fan of ella fitzgerald when i was 17. so to sing with her was just, cried my eyes out. >> we mentioned a couple times this morning you were part of the christmas tree lighting ceremony here in rockefeller center and you were saying to me in the commercial break it was surprisingly moving to you. >> it put me in the christmas spirit, so much so, i'm going to do some christmas shopping in a minute. >> that's what mayor bloomberg wants to hear. that's what it was supposed to do. what are you going to sing for us? >> "mother hold the candle steady while i peel the chicken's wing." "let it snow." >> and i dare you to try the other one after that. ladies and gentlemen, rod stewart.
8:52 am
♪ ♪ the weather outside the frightful ♪ ♪ but the fire is so delightful ♪ ♪ since we've no place to go ♪ let it snow let it snow let it snow ♪ ♪ doesn't show signs of stopping and i brought some for popping ♪ ♪ let's turn the lights way down low ♪ ♪ let it snow let it snow let it snow ♪ ♪ when we finally kiss good night ♪ ♪ but if you really hold me
8:53 am
tight ♪ ♪ all the way home i'll be warm ♪ ♪ oh the fire is slowly dying and my dear we're still -- ♪ ♪ as long as you love me so let it snow let it snow ♪ ♪ ♪ when we finally kiss good night ♪ ♪ how i'll hate going out in the storm ♪ ♪ but if you really hold me tight ♪ ♪ all the way home i'll be warm ♪ ♪ o the weather outside is
8:54 am
frightful ♪ ♪ but that fire is so delightful ♪ ♪ since we've no place to go let it snow let it snow let it snow ♪ ♪ let it snow snow snow ♪ let it snow let it snow ♪ ♪ baby it's cold outside ♪ i'm freezing can i stay here with you ♪ ♪ o yeah >> merry christmas baby is the name of the album. thank you so much and happy holidays.
8:55 am
we're back after your local news and weather.
8:56 am
good morning. 8:56. i'm laura garcia-cannon. a californian could be the winner of the next big powerball jackpot. final arrangements are being made to bring powerball to california. the state lotto commission is expected to vote. if approved, the first tickets could roll out in april of next year. let's check the forecast. >> we have a little bit of shower activity but it's very light. the heavier rain will hold off until later, mostly confined to livermore. north to the northernmost portion of the state from eureka to ft. bragg, starting to get our first heavy downpours. we'll continue to see the clouds increase. rain moves in at 5:00 p.m. tonight. rough commute tomorrow. [ laughter ] [ girl ] wow, you guys have it easy.
8:57 am
i wish i had u-verse when i was your age. in my day, we didn't have these fancy wireless receivers. blah blah blah. if i had a sleepover, i couldn't just move the tv into the playroom. no. we had to watch movies in the den because that's where the tv outlet was. and if dad was snoring on the couch, we muscled through it. is she for real? your generation has it made. [ male announcer ] the wireless receiver only from at&t u-verse. get a free wireless receiver with a qualifying u-verse plan.
8:58 am
rethink possible.
8:59 am
.. ing we're back on a thursday morning, 29th of november. 2012. that is an 80 foot norway tree that allen and savannah and the
9:00 am
cast of characters help ed ligh last night. >> we have no idea. >> 100,000 lights. >> 20,000 inch. >> if you're in the new york area before january 7th, come and check it down. a great part of the holiday season. willie geist and mr. al roker. the pros are back. >> the pros are back. we're going to test their range. star, donnie, nancy and talk about perhaps ending a ban on women in combat in the military. also, the question, does size really matter, wait for it, when it comes to man cans in stores. we're seeing bigger plus-size man cans. we'll get donnie's take. >> i don't know that you want to do that. >> he a's not good for that top. take the morning off. >> did you know the air inside your home can be five times more
9:01 am
polluted than the air outside your home? what to do about it? we will get tips and from holliday to tv, what's the latest, jason kennedy is here and all the scoops. >> lots to get to. let's go inside. natalie is standing by with the headlines. >> good morning, everyone. could you be the lucky winner of the largest powerball jackpot in history. winning number, 5, 16, 22, 29, powerball of 6. lottery officials say two winning tickets were sold, one in arizona and one in missouri. they will share the $587 million plus prize. treasury secretary tim geithner is meeting to avoid the fiscal cliff of tack cuts and spending cuts and meeting with the white house how to curb the
9:02 am
benefits of medicare and medicaid. and david petraeus david petraeus met to talk about his affair with paula broadwell and he said quote i screwed up royal ly" and told her apaid the price appropriately. he praises his wife, holly, for standing by him. the affair brought about petraeus's resignation earlier this month. president obama and former rival mitt romney are putting campaign differences behind them as the two meet at the white house today, their first meeting since president obama met on november 6th. there is no agenda but it fulfills his pledge to reach across the aisle. and lindsay lohan was charged in manhattan and
9:03 am
allegedly punched another woman at a nightclub. the other woman was not arrested and not taken to the hospital. this amazing whale watching video will have you wondering just who is watching whom. take a look at this. a pair of humpback whales seem to enjoy their close-up look at an australian teenager and her father. at one point, the girl became terrified they would flip their boat, but the giant mammals eventually swam away and leaving the humans with a great story to tell and viral video that this really happened. a dog wishes he was a big baby. or at least he wishes he was. check out this duet. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> don't know what they're saying but looks very important. don't know who's complaining louder. it's four minutes after the hour. let's go back out to al with a
9:04 am
check of your weather. >> the bow-wow segment. thanks. our toy drive is always about helping folks. this morning, actor paul rudd pitched in, our elf for the morning collecting gifts for children of domestic violence in tulsa, oklahoma. we want to thank everybody who participated in that. one of our most loyal partners has been ugly dolls. and with her son, alec, the daughter of one of the owners of pretty ugly. nice to see you. >> nice to see you. >> what's very interesting, this year, the donation kind of hits home because of what happened in new jersey. >> it does. we were hit very hard this year in our ugly dollhouse and offices and we have been giving to the "today" show toys r us for 10 years, very special for us. over $2,000 has been donated this year.
9:05 am
>> that's terrific. you guys came up with an idea to help too, this year? >> yes. we donated with clothes and canned goods and it's important after the storm that hit us pretty hard. >> it really affected you. >> yes. it makes us feel we're very thankful for everything we have and always give back. that's what's important in life. >> that's terrific. thank you so much. appreciate all the help from the ugly dolls. we are getting a little bit of a break from our next round of rain. that's on the way as we head throughout tonight. mostly dry for the first part of today. light showers coming down all the way from concord to stockton. watch out for slick answer. this arrives as we head throughout 5:00 p.m. tonight. we stop the clock for you right at 4:00, starting to get heavy rainfall up in the north bay. that will move to the south
9:06 am
throughout the second half of tomorrow. then we're going to clear out on monday into tuesday. weather. willie. >> all right, al, thanks. now to today's professionals, our power plays, breaking down today's biggest headlines, star jones, donny deutche and dr. nancy snyderman. you know them by now. let's start with lindsey lohan. natalie just reported it in the news, arrested inside a new york city nightclub 4:00 o'clock in the morning, alleged to have punched another woman in the face, this coming on the heels of a poorly received film on the lifetime "liz and dick." what do you do with lindsay lohan and as a brand. >> i will talk to her as a brand guy and dad. as a brand guy, unfortunately or fortunately, this doesn't hurt her. she has become this generation -- i will talk as a dad for a second. please let me finish this. this marilyn -- we celebra
9:07 am
celebrate -- we elevate, we are fascinated with the tragic princess, the tragic diva. this is on brand for her. it's what makes people watch. it's terrible to say, don't shoot the messenger. we are infinitely more fascinated with her than actress natalie portman. as a dad, obviously, i know her mom and like her mom. the girl obviously needs some help at this point. >> she need a dad. >> she needs to be protected because wherever she goes almost becomes like a self-fulfilling prophes prophesy, like mike tyson. my dad part wants to hug her and take care of her. something needs to happen. >> star. >> at some point we all need to realize lindsey is not marilyn monroe. she does not have the same talent. >> talking about our fascination. >> fascination is one thing. at this point, she's no longer famous, she's infamous. you need a body of work in order to have someone stay fascinated with you.
9:08 am
>> she's -- by the way, doesn't matter what she does, we stay fascinated. she was top rated "snl." >> no matter what we're waiting for, sad to say, is some tragedy so the three of us can come on television the next day- >> nothing good happens after 1:00 and how a girl ends up dead. >> watching her casually, not necessarily as doctor, i know you haven't treated her, do you worry about her well-being? >> she has an addiction problem, she's self-destructive. she has zero parenting and she has, to donny's point, no repercussions, other than legal slaps on the wrist. >> i will say three words. >> i think this can only get worse for her. >> i can only give three words, robert downey jr. >> one word, talent, excuse me. >> you talk to directors, she's got chops. >> when are we going to see it? when are we going to get to see it? we saw talent, dondonny, excuse.
9:09 am
we saw talent this past sunday. it was a piece of schuc. >> i thought it was right on the money. a campy kitchy production. she is still a young woman and still can be helped. >> i hope she will be helped. >> we will be sitting here 10 years from now and she will win an academy award winner. >> you also thought the dead movie will do well. do women have the right to fight. veterans have filed suit to end the ban for women serving in direct combat operations. they say it excludes them from getting into the club where you can be promoted to the top of the military ladder, what do you think? >> they're right. this was the glass ceiling for them. for a long time, all they could do was stain the steno pool and then allowed to fly planes for
9:10 am
refueling and sort of nudged their way up. reality is if they can compete on the same level as men. for fighter plane, no doubt they can, they should be allowed to fight. women are losing their lives on these planes and aren't getting the same recognition and are blocked for ascending the ranks. i believe they should be allowed. >> women on the front lines, star? >> if the same standard of competing is you've got to climb the same amount of ladder, if you have to lift the same amount of weight, you have to go over the same height fence, then, yes, they should be able to compete. if you drop that standard at all based on being female, then absolutely not. i want to make sure that you can do the exact same thing. if you can, and i believe women can, they should have every opportunity. >> the argument is they're already in harm's way. 150 women have died in iraq and afghanistan because war is not symmetrical anymore. if your base is attacked, you're fighting in combat.
9:11 am
if they want to, why shouldn't they be on the front lines. >> by the way, if 1,000 troops and thousand best specimens men or women. sometimes i see cops on the streets and see a strong woman versus a dumpy little guy, i want that person. >> this is real. for women who want to be colonels and generals and admiral, yes, absolutely. >> we will get to it. >> does size matter. easy, donny, we're talking about man cans here. >> you're so overrated. >> that's what i've been told. >> i knew i couldn't let that one go. more and more department stores where you're not seeing traditional thin man can but some larger. one woman posted a photograph to social media, any horrified they make these obese mannequins. about 70% of americans are overweight or obese at this point. why shouldn't they see themselves reflected in retail? >> i don't think i'm obese but there's no man can my size. they're skinnier than i am.
9:12 am
they aren't even real. they are stick figures that only have breasts. until you see a normal man can, then we can win. do i want to see fat fat man cans that say to everyone, it's okay to let loose. no. man cans that reflect real women that would be lovely. >> we sell idealism. in plus sized stores you're never going to see this on a broad level. >> some people have never been in a plus sized store. that's where i used to shop for the majority of my adult life. they've always had mannequiican bit bigger. >> a bit bigger. not an idealized version. >> the idealized version is size 18. >> you're never going see obese. >> a 5'5" 240 pound woman -- >> once and for all, does size matter. >> no. no. >> donny, you just couldn't let it go. >> you had the tease. i'm just delivering.
9:13 am
>> you're in charge of this. >> i think you heard that and you still don't believe it. no no no. up next, jason kennedy has your hollididay round-up right after this. ♪ ♪ this is a toys 'r us news update. all the toys all the time. >> toys 'r us is having a two-day sale. saturday and friday, 50% off cray ola, lego, disney princess and more. buy two get the third free, door busters friday, 3:00 p.m. to saturday 3:00 p.m. with price match on everything. >> toys 'r us. why would you shop anywhere else for toys. dad, the cable's out! you got that right? [ kiss ] thank you ♪ [ male announcer ] pillsbury crescents. let the making begin. it's so great to see you. you, too! oh, cloudy glasses.
9:14 am
you didn't have to come over! actually, honey, i think i did... oh? you did? whoa, ladies, easy. hi. cascade kitchen counselor. we can help avoid this with cascade complete pacs. see, over time, cascade complete pacs fight film buildup two times better than finish quantum. to help leave glasses sparkling shiny! too bad it doesn't work on windows. okay, i'm outta here. cascade. the clear choice. gives you 1% cash back on all purchases, plus a 50% annual bonus. and everyone...but her likes 50% more cash. but i'm upping my game. do you want a candy cane? yes! do you want the puppy? yes! do you want a tricycle? yes! do you want 50 percent more cash? no! ♪ festive. [ male announcer ] the capital one cash rewards card gives you 1% cash back on every purchase plus a 50% annual bonus on the cash you earn. it's the card for people who like more cash. what's in your wallet? it's the card for people who like more cash. mommy! i went potty! that's great, honey....
9:15 am
where? for life's bleachable moments. nexxus salon hair care combats 8 signs of aging hair. unveiling 2013, new nexxus youth renewal elixir. go online for your complimentary bottle before it hits stores in january. ♪ hark how the bells, sweet silver bells ♪ ♪ all seem to say throw care away ♪ ♪ from everywhere, filling the air ♪ [ female announcer ] chex party mix. easy 15-minute homemade recipes you just pop in a microwave. like caramel chocolate drizzles. happier holidays. chex party mix. yay! come get into bed. this is a story about jingle the husky pup. and jingle was a good dog. ruff! ruff! jingle loved to bark hello. ruff! ruff! ruff! ruff! jingle even loved to sing. ruff! ruff! ruff! ruff! ruff! jingle!
9:16 am
let's read the book to him. jingle, stay. and jingle did. ruff! ruff! [ female announcer ] hallmark interactive story buddies. when you read key words, jingle responds. back now with a look at the top songs, hollywood buzz and video, call it our top of the morning round-up. jason is here. good morning. >> good morning. >> let's start off with topping the chart of itunes. i love this song. "ho "home" by phillips. >> it's crazy. it got a lot of play during the olympics, the best coronation song on "american idol." it count happen to a nicer guy. the fact we're still talking about it all these months later is impressive. >> great message and great guy. he was here just this week, i think just yesterday. number two on itune, "locked out
9:17 am
of heaven" by bruno. not slowing down. >> and 3,000 views on youtube. whatever this guy touches turns to gold or in his case, platinum. his first single off his upcoming album dropped on december 11th. he has a cult following. such a young guy, 27 years old. just the beginning for him. >> i love him. so talented. >> number three, a song and group i haven't heard of. but they're number three, the lummineers. called ""h 0-ho. >> they're a rock brand. it's catchy and different. people are catching on. try it. ho-hay, by the lummineers. >> i'm loving this because i'm a huge do huge fan. they're working on an americ
9:18 am
americanized version. >> it's a guilded title. like the american version that takes place in 19th century new york city. it could be on the air as early as fall 2013. these period dramas and -- >> take a long time to shoot. >> if they're done properly, they can be a big hit. i think this has the makings of a hit. not just because i'm on nbc. >> we do love it. >> breaking down at the top of the box office. and there is a new challenger, brad pitt topping the chart. >> coming to a theater near you. called "killing them softly." nothing like his last movie "moneyball," he plays a mob enforcer, killing a lot of people. a crime drama, it has a great cast in it as well. definitely check this out. early reviews are in and people are loving it. loving it. >> really? he has really been impressive. his acting and everything.
9:19 am
next, viral videos. you have to love the office prank, the black friday employee prank, number one on youtube. >> let's be honest, how crazy are black fridays, people mobbing the store. these dress up like employees. why is this man putting all these things in my cart. >> climbing into my cart. >> all of a sudden, he goes in and asks the lady if she can push him around. unsuspected customers. they have no idea what's going on. >> i guess if you have a red shirt and khakis, you, too, can apply for that job. >> 8 million views. amazing. >> we showed this earlier, gangnam style. this is a house that has gone gangnam style for the holidays, in austin, texas, choreographed with the lights and everything. >> 25,000 lights. can you imagine being the neighbor, honey, they're doing
9:20 am
it again. >> looks like they have neighbors close by. >> they have 8 million views. i was homing for a cameo but that didn't happen. not good for the neighbors. >> that electric bill is not good either. coming up, finger food for a holiday bash, serving up em pan nadas. first, these messages. [music] "dance of the sugar plum fairies" ♪ ♪ here's a better idea. pillsbury grands! flaky layers biscuits in just 15 minutes the light delicate layers
9:21 am
add a layer of warmth to your next dinner. pillsbury grands biscuits let the making begin. ♪ spread a little love my way ♪ spread a little something to remember ♪ ♪ spread a little joy and see ♪ need a little happiness to be ♪ ♪ living the life with me [ female announcer ] philadelphia cream cheese. made with fresh milk and real cream. it makes your holiday recipes,
9:22 am
everyone's holiday favorites. ♪ go olive garden's 2 for $25. everyone's holiday favorites. an italian dinner for 2. start with all the fresh salad and warm breadsticks you want. choose an appetizer made for sharing. then two delicious entrees from five of our favorites. classics like eggplant parmagiana. or new favorites like smoked mozzarella chicken. three courses, two people, just $25 but only for a limited time.
9:23 am
go olive garden. and try our unlimited homemade soup, crisp salad, and warm breadsticks lunch, just $6.95. i'd like to thank eating right, whole grain, multigrain cheerios! mom, are those my jeans? [ female announcer ] people who choose more whole grain tend to weigh less than those who don't. multigrain cheerios side by side so you get the same coverage, often for less. that's one smart board. what else does it do, reverse gravity? [ laughs ] [ laughs ] [ whooshing ] tell me about it. why am i not going anywhere? you don't believe hard enough. a smarter way to shop around. now that's progressive. call or click today. [ grunting ]
9:24 am
and we've got much more to come in our next half hour of "today." we're going to show you to take care of the air you breathe indoors. tips to keep your home healthy. and then here comes the blushing bride. we've got the hottest new trend in gowns for that walk down the aisle. first your local news and weather. introducing nook hd - the world's best 7" tablet made for reading and entertainment. your favorite magazines and catalogs look better than ever. and with scrapbooking, you can save the things you love, bring them all together, and be inspired like never before. scrapbooking. create yours with nook hd - and even bigger with hd+.
9:25 am
find yours at barnes & noble. [ female announcer ] holiday cookies are a big job. everything has to be just right. perfection is in the details. ♪ get to holiday fun faster with pillsbury cookie dough. good thursday morning to you. 9:26. i'm laura garcia-cannon. lots of smashed cars this morning after a flatbed truck crashes through a chain-link fence into a parking lot. happened early this morning at the united auto center on
9:26 am
industrial boulevard in san leandro. investigators say the driver had a sneezing fit before he crashed into the cars. in san jose, an overnight garage fire uncovers a small marijuana farm grow. five marijuana plants were found. the man who lives in the house says he has a medical marijuana card and was growing the pot legally. san francisco parolee behind bars again after officers in the bernal heights neighborhood. officers say he locked himself up in a home. he surrendered peacefully earlier this morning. we'll have a look at weather and traffic after this. ♪
9:27 am
[ female announcer ] nature exists on the grandest scale... ♪ ...and in the tiniest details. ♪ and sometimes both. nature valley granola thins pack the big taste of granola and dark chocolate into one perfect square, under 100 calories. nature valley granola thins. nature at its most delicious. welcome back now. the time is 9:28. thanks for joining us. we're still tracking very light shower activity mostly over the foothills surrounding san jose. and it's quickly clearing. the main event arrives through the second half of tonight, especially up in the north bay.
9:28 am
getting your first showers by 5:00 p.m. once the sun goes down, more and more active as we continue through the evening hours into tomorrow morning. we stop the clock right at 6:00 a.m., count on a very slick commute tomorrow morning. throughout the upcoming days, we keep rain in the forecast saturday and sunday. heavy periods of rain on the way. monday to tuesday, a little bit of a break. then the rain returns late in the afternoon. it's gray here in palo alto. you see the camera shaking also. winds kicking up around the bay bringing that second system in. there's the flag moving. 880 coming toward us, slow. south of newark, it's slow towards mission and past there into milpitas. this is where the northbound route is slow, coming off highway 17. for highway 85 off of 280 as well. the rest of the route starting to clear up. palo alto, a live look out there, we show you both directions at university are moving smoothly but a stall just
9:29 am
south of oregon expressway could cause a problem for the area. >> thank you very much, mike. thank you for joining us. another local news update coming up in half an hour. ♪ here comes the blushing bride. if you plan to say i do in the new year and you're still looking for that perfect dress, we're going to fill you in on one of the hottest trends in wedding gowns. and guys, it's all about the back. that's right.
9:30 am
>> it's about what the dress looks like from the back. okay. i'm natalie morales along with al roker and willie geist. also ahead this morning, dirty details on the air that inside your own home, some kind of shocking statistics. i didn't know a lot of these. it could be making you sick, in fact. our friend has some easy ways, though, to keep your home healthy. then, if you're planning a holiday gathering, we're making sweet and savory empanaarmpanad. >> i love empanadas. first, a check of the weather for us. >> i love the way you say it. >> empanada. >> let's see what we've got for you as we look ahead toward the weekend. first of all, starting with today, more wet weather, heavy rain, mountain snows in the pacific northwest into northern california, fog through the gulf coast into the southeastern atlantic states, lake effect snow showers, eastern great lakes. for tomorrow, we're going to see more wind, more rain, more snow out west, look for snow showers
9:31 am
again around the great lakes. sunny and mild through the gulf coast into the southeast. cool in the mid-atlantic states. and that's your latest weather. coming up next, cleaning up the air inside your home right after this. [ female announcer ] can your pancake mix do this?
9:32 am
sure, bisquick makes delicious pancakes, but that's just the start. unleash the hidden power of bisquick. see what you can make at bisquick.com. ♪ you are exactly one of a kind ♪ yummy. ♪ a-b-c-d want to drive it to daddy ? ♪ for always ( giggles )
9:33 am
theand the kids always eat sky their vegetables.e. because the salad there is always served with the original hidden valley ranch. even though our mom tries, she doesn't really get us. and she'll never know who we are, or what... no way, madden girls?? nike! they're so awesome! nike! wow! yeahhhh! thank you! who's your mommy now? it's a christmas miracle. give victoriously. famous brands. famously easy. famous footwear. victory is yours.
9:34 am
can your moisturizer do that? [ female announcer ] dermatologist recommended aveeno has an oat formula, now proven to build a moisture reserve, so skin can replenish itself. that's healthy skin for life. only from aveeno. i am making crescent bacon cheddar pinwheels. wow, i'm impressed! [ ding ] dad, the cable's out! you got that right? [ kiss ] thank you ♪ [ male announcer ] pillsbury crescents. let the making begin. eat tomato sauce on my spaghetti. the acidic levels in some foods can cause acid erosion. the enamel starts to wear down. and you can't grow your enamel back. i was quite surprised, as only few as four exposures a day what that can do to you.
9:35 am
it's quite a lesson learned. my dentist recommended that i use pronamel. because it helps to strengthen the enamel. he recommended that i use it every time i brush. you feel like there is something that you're doing to help safeguard against the acid erosion. and i believe it's doing a good job. this morning on "today's healthy home," cleaning up the air indoors. the air in your home is one to five times more polluted, if you can believe it than the air outside. host of the syndicated show "house smart" is here with solutions. lou, good to see you. >> good to see you. >> how can that be true? >> back in the '70s, we did exactly what the epa wanted us
9:36 am
to do as home builders, we made houses more efficient. added insulation, made the windows much tighter, in an effort to conserve energy. and what we did was created these very tight homes. all of the volatile organic chemicals inside of our home, whether it's from furniture, the carpeting, the way we live our lives every day is now in that air. >> what kind of stuff are we talking about in the air typically? >> well, there's all kinds of chemicals in things like furniture. there's a recent story about furniture now having toxins from flame retardants in there. carpeting, the paint that's on the walls, all of these things add to the poor indoor air quality. and what we don't do in our homes is get enough fresh air. number one tip, willie, open up the window. >> basic one. >> i realize in the midwest or the northeast this time of year it's tough to do. however, there are ways within your heating system that you can actually have them pipe in a fresh air intake through the system that's constantly bringing fresh air. but if you live in a warmer
9:37 am
climate, this is easy stuff. >> leave the windows open. >> leave the windows open. >> we heard about furnace filters, but you say there's a particular kind to get. >> everyone defaults to the 99 cent blue ones, this is a filter that is what they call a pleated filter. it will be ten times more efficient at trapping the particles that flow through the home than just that basic blue one which is really only there to protect the blower motor. >> what does this cost? >> anywhere from $18 to $25, lasts three months. it really is one of the biggest steps anybody can do themselves. slide it in, change it every three months. >> air, humidifiers, air purifiers, which one? >> you want things with high filtration, hepa filtration, a couple of models here. the trick with this, willie, they need to be on high and they need to be in rooms you keep the doors closed. the whole idea is i want to grab that air, put it through the filtration system and i want to clean it as it goes out.
9:38 am
humidify occasion like this one here is making that air more comfortable. this actually helps to even lower your energy bills because in areas where it gets dry in the winter by adding humidity, you're more comfortable, you're not as scratchy and you can lower the temperature on your thermostat because the air holds the heat longer. >> you can get some of these at a reasonable price. >> yeah. this one here, this is $50. these air purifiers are in the $60 range. >> you want us to change the way we think about cleaning, the products we use. >> well, all about making sure you're not adding more chemicals in there. these green cleaners out there now, natural cleaners that are available aren't using harsh chemicals. they work really well whether it's laundry soap that -- this is a soda type, very efficient, works really well. this line of cleaners now all without harsh chemicals and you're not adding more airborne particulate. carpeting a is big thing.
9:39 am
70% of u.s. homes have wall-to-wall carpeting in them. we don't clean it enough. willie, carpeting is like a natural filter. it grabs stuff in the air, but now it's in that carpeting, kids are rolling around in it, your pets walk around in it. you can either buy a carpet cleaner like this, couple hundred bucks, rent one for $40 for the day. every four months you should be cleaning -- >> four months. >> when was the last time? >> not four months ago. >> get on it. >> a lot of us have heard the word radon, know it's bad, what do we do? >> it's a radioactive gas everywhere in our environment and inside of our homes, this is a big issue for people. and now with real estate market, it can come in through a sum pump, cracks in the basement, windows itself. four parts per liter. this is a technical -- >> you're losing me. >> give you an example, a cure is a measurement of radioactive decay. so if the earth was one cure, a
9:40 am
pico cure is a speck of dust. >> and we can monitor -- >> this is a home radon test. open up one of these, put it down there for 48 hours, registers the radon in there. if you have four parts per liter in there, then you need a radon remediation. this is something people can do themselves. this kit is $10, you can send it off to a lab for $30 analysis and then you'll know. you do all this and the air quality in your home, especially for the winter will be much cleaner. >> good advice. thanks. good to see you. up next, it's all about the back, i'm told. the newest trend in bridal gowns right after this. [ female announcer ] why settle for plain bread?
9:41 am
here's a better idea. pillsbury grands! flaky layers biscuits in just 15 minutes the light delicate layers add a layer of warmth to your next dinner. pillsbury grands biscuits let the making begin. you're not using too much are you, hon? ♪ nope.
9:42 am
[ female announcer ] charmin ultra soft is so soft you'll have to remind your family they can use less. charmin ultra soft is made with extra cushions that are soft and more absorbent. plus you can use four times less versus the leading value brand. don't worry, there's plenty left for you dad. we all go. why not enjoy the go with charmin ultra soft? and there's juicy chicken best foods is the secret to making parmesan crusted chicken so juicy so delicious it's your secret to making dinner disappear best foods. bring out the best everything that's in their products. but sc johnson isn't just a company. we're a family who cares about yours.
9:43 am
that's why we're working to share all of our ingredients, right down to the fragrances and dyes. so with products like windex, you know what you're bringing into your home. going beyond the industry standard -- that's the family standard. ♪ ♪ ♪ this holiday you'll find 24 exceptional designers at prices that will amaze.
9:44 am
exclusively at neiman marcus and target from december 1st. this morning on today's style, the latest trend in bridal fashion, show-stopping gowns from the back. here with four beautiful looks that make a statement is the editor in chief of "brides" magazine. this is the new trend all about the back. it makes sense because we do see a lot of the brides from the back. >> it makes absolute sense because if you think about it, key moments of the wedding, the bride spends facing away from her guests, walking down the aisle, saying her vows, during her first dance and cutting the cake. so our advice to ladies shopping for their wedding dress, don't just think about the front, you have to think about the rear view. >> duly noted. let's take a look at lauren who looks absolutely gorgeous. the dress is stunning from the front, but look at this back. now, that is a statement.
9:45 am
>> this dress is all about the beaded back, and this is so popular right now. we're actually seeing, this is a trend within the trend. and it's all about the beading. and here even the draping -- >> yes, the draping is gorgeous and mimics the draping in the front. and you can see here even the beading has draping in it. what's great about this dress, it's formal enough to get a pop of sparkle, but you could wear this at a beach wedding. >> which designer? >> rabini. >> beautiful. and i love the bows in her hair that match the beading on the dress, as well. do we get to see the front one more time? gorgeous. and look at that sexy slit, hello, very pretty. let's move on over to amanda, and she's wearing a gown with a statement bow. but first, notice the beauty of the front of the dress, simple but gorgeous. >> yes, this is a classic one for david's bridal. >> now turn around for us, samantha. beautiful. this is that big bow we were talking about.
9:46 am
>> yes, it has that old hollywood glamour feel, if you think about marilyn monroe and that pink column gown with the oversized bow. this is a refreshing take on that. you get this elaborate fan detail and what's great about this dress, retails at less than $1,000. amazing value. >> gorgeous. >> and look at that beautiful train, as well. which is perfect in the picture. >> it really is. >> and it's detachable. >> it is? that makes it easier. when you're sitting down, sometimes the bow can get in the way. >> well, the bow -- actually the material is really soft, so the bow won't be a problem, but if you want to take off the train when it's time to dance, you can. >> there you go. can any bride wear a dress like this with a big statement bow in the back? if you have a little booty in the back, should you be worried? >> i don't think you should be. i think the beauty of this dress is that the detail is placed strategically in a place that's not going to add bulk. and because of the column shape, it's flattering, very slimming on the hips. >> thank you so much, amanda.
9:47 am
okay. let's move on over to rachel. i'm going to walk around this way. and this dress, stunning from the front, in fact, i understand this is inspired by breakfast at tiffany's, is that right? >> looks like it. >> it's very classic, clean silhouette with this detachable sash. it's great. and when she turns. >> turns around here. >> the gorgeous cutouts and you see the button detail. >> right? >> yeah. >> it's really graphic. and the cutouts are popular right now because a lot of brides want something that's classic, but feel fresh and modern. >> adds a little edge. and notice the train here, as well. that's really pretty too. >> yes, another flirty detail. >> right. >> i love that dress. thank you very much. okay. and then lastly, we have danny wearing our fourth look here. and this dress is called an illusion dress, absolutely stunning. >> gorgeous. this dress is by panovia and all about high glamour with the beading from head to toe. and when she turns around, this
9:48 am
is where you get the illusion. >> yes. >> the tattoo sort of effect. >> i call this a tattoo her mother will love. because all about this delicate, beaded applique. >> very sexy, right? >> it is very sexy. i could see a jennifer lopez or kim kardashian wearing a dress like this. >> it is absolutely gorgeous. our brides here beautiful, thank you so much. great job, gorgeous dresses. thanks. coming up next, we have easy empanadas for your next holiday party. but first, this is "today" on nbc. [ singing christmas carols in background ]
9:49 am
aunt sally's singing again. it's a tradition, honey. [ singing christmas carols ] mmmm. [ female announcer ] make new traditions with pillsbury grands! cinnamon rolls. that's been wrapped in a flaky crust stuffed with a gooey center toasted up all golden brown
9:50 am
then given a delicious design? a toaster strudel. pillsbury toaster strudel. so delicious...so fun. this morning in "today's" kitchen, empanadas step by step. these dough-filled delights are perfect for your next holiday party. we have the chef and owner of doro restaurant in greenwich city. good to see you again.
9:51 am
these are really a great dish because you can put anything in them. >> that's the thing. they're very versatile. >> and from really savory to sweet. >> absolutely. that's what we're going to show here today. we're going to give a quick demonstration on the dough. >> all right. >> we'll start with all-purpose flour. bring to a slight boil a little bit of water, little bit of butter and seasoning, a little bit of sea salt. so we're going to bring this over here. and you want to drop it in slowly. and let the dough hook actually create a little ball of dough. right? >> and it's important for it to still be hot when you're doing it? >> yes, because it brings together and creates a ball of dough. once you get this going here, it's going to turn into a ball of dough. >> can you mix the dough ahead of time? >> absolutely. you can have this up to a few days in advance. >> okay. >> and the important thing is to keep it covered and not let a dry skin to create on it. and let the dough rest before you use it. going out to the fillings, for
9:52 am
starters, a little bit of ground chuck. you can add a little bit of tomato paste, tomato product, parsley, garlic, and we're going to stir that up. and let it all incorporate. once you have that going, very important when you make the empanadas is not to use the dough -- the filling inside the dough while it's hot. because when you fry them, they'll explode. >> that's bad. >> yeah. you don't want that. >> unless you're looking for a party. >> there you go. >> boom. >> now we're going to go on to three types of filling we can use. once we have the dough, this is the tomato -- >> roll that out flat. >> roll it out nice and flat and you cut out a nice ring size so you can do the filling inside. we have the meat that we just prepared. >> sure. >> we have a chicken filled empanada, and this for a sweeter version, we have a sweet potato, which is my wife's favorite. little cream cheese and mle syrup. once you have the filling down like this, you're going to take
9:53 am
a little bit of egg wash right back here to seal. >> your glue? >> yeah, this is the binding agent. so we do like this and fold it over. that's it right there. tuck it down nice and tight so it doesn't open on you. and with a fork, basically going to cramp it and make a bill it of a design. and now at this point, you can either cut them a little bit smaller or just leave it as is. let's go to the back -- >> that's the portuguese version of a waonton. >> once we have them sealed off and ready, we're going to take a little bit of egg wash, put them into a little bit of bread crumbs, i'm using panko because it gives more texture. >> what did we do before panko? >> i don't know, but they're everywhere now. it's more important than the wheel. now we're going to dust this off like this and you end up with great empanadas, drop them into about 350, 360-degree oil. >> i notice a candy thermometer
9:54 am
there. >> very important to know your temperature, because you want nice color without burning. 360 tends to cook through -- >> how long? >> well, it really depends, maybe two minutes until you get nice golden brown. >> right. >> you end up with these beautiful empanadas like this. the three types we have here, these two are savory. chicken, meat -- >> food. >> and the sweet empanadas. >> just in time. >> oh, no, i was looking for make-up and hair. >> wow. >> okay. >> what kind is this one right here? >> this is a chicken empanada. >> spicy mayonnaise. this is ground beef and empanada. >> these are perfect for a holiday party. thank you so much. >> my pleasure. happy holidays. >> happy holidays. coming up next -- >> kathie lee and hoda. >> after your local news.
9:55 am
9:56 am
good morning to you. it is 9:56. i'm marla tellez. an injured great-horned owl rescued in the north bay earlier this month could be released back into the wild as soon as next week. the owl was found in a tree with a fishing hook and line piercing its wing back on november 17th. the bird was taken to the wild care center where the hook was safely removed. as of now, the owl is at an outdoor area at the center but will be released as soon as it builds up its wing strength. let's get a look at the forecast now with christina. when's the rain coming? >> good morning to you as home. temperatures today will be able to climb by a few degrees with more sunshine out there. mostly dry conditions.
9:57 am
a few pesky conditions out there. 64 in livermore. 64 in santa teresa and 62 in concord. our next heavy round of rain arrives 5:00 p.m. light to moderate showers up in the north bay. the front spreads to the south between 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. we should get a nice break heading throughout the second half of your friday. showers in the mix all weekend long. good weekend to make indoor plans. let's see how the roads are doing this morning. >> better now than later on today, especially for that north bay. we'll talk about that in a second. over here to the bay bridge, what a treat. gray skies but the roadways are relatively dry and hardly any back-up at the toll plaza. oakland, the camera shakes a bit at the coliseum camera. there is wind gusting around right here past the coliseum. slower traffic this evening as the warriors are playing the nuggets. this is emeryville, look at this volume of traffic coming toward us. not a big deal coming out of richmond.
9:58 am
there's the north bay. the rain's coming to hit here first during the evening hours. on the right side, you see some puddling. and then we have more rain coming. that could be an issue. >> mike, thanks so much. we'll be back with our next news and weather update in 30 minutes. see you at 10:26. ♪
9:59 am
i'd like to thank eating right, whole grain, multigrain cheerios! my bowl, my spoons! mom, are those my jeans? [ female announcer ] people who choose more whole grain tend to weigh less than those who don't. multigrain cheerios has whole grain and 110 delicious calories. ...more grains. less you! multigrain cheerios in multi-grain cheerios peanut butter.
10:00 am
♪ >> okay, we did win. we told you yesterday. this is our ticket. we won -- should we tell them how much or will it make people feel bad? >> nobody will be happy for us. >> we won $4. we have to divide it among nine people. and if you divide it you get 44 cents, allegedly. is that true? s we didn't do the math. we are relying on others. >> we are relying on equally stupid people. >> a couple of people did win. someone in arizona and someone in missouri. those are the two spots. if you have a relative there ask someone about it. here ares numbers 5-16-22-23-29
10:01 am
and the powerball was 6. >> there were lots of people who were lucky like we were who spent $5 and won $4. >> it's like theater. going to the theater world. >> almost 9 million people won smaller prizes. >> and we're one of them. >> some people actually won $1 million. there were how many people? >> i may be one of those people i came home last night and frank said, i want to show you something. usually when he says that it's something different. but this time it was two powerball tickets. we may have won and frank has probably thrown them away thinking we didn't win them. honey, check them. we might have won money. >> if you didn't win, don't feel bad. we were looking at odds how it is to win. you have more of a chance of getting hit by -- killed by a vending machine.
10:02 am
>> is that a vending machine minding its own business sitting there? >> you put your money it in, it doesn't come out, you shake it because that's what people do. then it tips over and kills you. you have a better chance of that. >> better chance of getting attacked by a shark. 1 in 11.5 million. >> the odds of you becoming president 1.10 million. >> better chance of being killed by bees. >> a better chance of dying from using a right-handed product incorrectly if you're left-handed. >> one in four million people are stupid enough to do that. 70% of the people who land sudden wind falls lose the money within several years. >> the story used to be shocking, the lottery winner who sleeps under the bridge in the end then it became a common story. >> you have one of those in your new book coming out in january called "ten years later."
10:03 am
>> the concept of the book is you find a significant event in someone's life like they won the lottery, lost a job, lost a loved one, then ten years later. it was big here last night, the tree lighting. you cannot move when that happens. >> you can't tell it's lit because it's daylight but last night just before 9:00 with savannah and al at the helm, it all worked. the lights went on just as scheduled. let's watch. >> three, two, one -- ♪ joy to the world >> beautiful, beautiful that norway tree is gorgeous. when they are done with this tree they carve up the wood and give it to habitat for humanity. >> that's great. there were some fun performances. let's take a look at mariah
10:04 am
carey, shall we? she was in a joyful mood. >> tony bennett, of course, was there. cee lo green was there. >> where isn't tony bennett? and there is volo, we love those guys. is chris mann there? listen to that voice. rod stewart. ♪ let it snow let it snow let it snow ♪ >> and of course, see low. he never disappointed. >> he's got a muppet scene going these days. good. it was i guess a big hit for all. >> really great. here is something cool. yesterday, al lost his voice, excuse me on tuesday. >> joe hanson had to do the weather. >> jay leno thought it was funny
10:05 am
matt is such a germophobe. >> al roker got a case of laryngitis yesterday morning and was sitting next to matt lauer. matt is a bit of a germsphobe. >> i don't think it's at all contagious. >> that's funny. >> it's cute. he's no matt lauer. matt's body is so much better. >> how do you know? >> i saw him in a magazine on a beach. >> yes, you did. >> lindsay lohan, you know what?
10:06 am
>> every morning we are terrified we are going to hear one more story. 4:00 a.m., apparently according to tmz and other sources, she was at a night club. >> these things never happen at church. she was at a club at 2:00 in the morning. >> someone was sitting at an adjacent booth and there was some exchange of words. lindsay said something like give me my space. they say lindsay lohan allegedly punched lindsay in the face. she was on the way leaving and the police intercepted her. >> how many times is she going to take the perp walk? >> she is always on tv saying i'm done with partying. i'm done with it. it's a new me. >> that's the girl who got -- okay. >> maybe she wasn't drinking, but i've never been in a club at 4:00 in the morning in my life. i've been in clubs before like around 11:00. most people are drinking.
10:07 am
what are you doing in a club at 4:00? every time she goes to one, it seems like. somebody, please, please take care of her. >> definitely. >> i want to stop doing lindsay lohan story. we were hoping to do a great one this week with talking about her comeback. even then she wasn't showing professional behavior. she wasn't showing up on time. can somebody get her up into a studio on time? >> right. you think by now her parents are watching. isn't there a point where they -- >> she is an adult. you can't make somebody do something. i don't know. you know what you can't make a zebra and horse do or a pony? a pony and a zebra? you can't make them stay in prison when they want to get out. they broke out. >> this was a staten island petting zoo. let's make a break for it, go, go, go. they were running down the street. some guy had his video camera. >> they heard lindsay was at a club.
10:08 am
they were going to take the ferry and come over and party. >> apparently the zebra said he wasn't going to do it, but the pony went and he followed. >> in life there are ponies and zebras. there are leaders and followers. we've got to do this ihoda. you're going to actually love this song. this song is called "one voice" by the weylan jennings. >> is it the "one voice" barry manilow wrote? >> don't confuse me with your knowledge of music. you can choose to live your life as a lone ranger by yourself, as a couple or with multiple people. listen to this song. you're going to love. ♪ ♪ this is the sound of one voice ♪ >> sounds a little like emmy lou. ♪ this is the sound of one vo e
10:09 am
voice ♪ >> pretty. ♪ this is the sound of voices two ♪ >> you hear the other one? ♪ the sound of me singing with you ♪ ♪ helping each other make it through ♪ ♪ this is the sound of voices two ♪ ♪ this is the sound of voices two ♪ >> then it goes into three. >> i'd love to hear the end of it. ♪ this is the sound of voices three ♪ ♪ singing together in harmony
10:10 am
>> beautiful. ♪ surrendering to the mystery >> they're from canada. >> i love weylan jennings. you know what else makes your heart happy? every year we do this, the most popular baby's names. >> 2012. >> they haven't changed much. >> based on 450,000 babies born in 2012. girls. here are the most popular girls' babies. on baby center. sophia, emma, olivia, isabella, ava, lilly, zoe, chloe, mia and madison. you know what is new to it? betty because of betty white apparently. baby betty. >> aiden, jackson, ethan, liam, mason, noah, lucas, jacob, jayden and jack. new to that is mia and jack.
10:11 am
>> those are interesting names this year. i wonder why sophia, mia, what do you think? >> we have an isabella sophia at our house. all of their friends that come over, isabella, sophia, mia. >> we have a big show. he's one of hollywood's most talented writers and directors and actors and adorable. >> we love our ed burns. >> and we'll reveal our ambush makeovers. >> two lucky ladies, but first these messages. did you know the core of our health is truly on the inside.
10:12 am
that's why i take new trubiotics. it's a daily probiotic that helps in two ways. one helps support digestive health, the other immune health. stay true to your health. new trubiotics. from the makers of one-a-day.
10:13 am
of green giant vegetables it's easy to eat like a giant... ♪ and feel like a green giant. ♪ ho ho ho ♪ green giant for the latest smartphone. you wanna see if walmart has the same phone, for less? let's see! samsung galaxy s3 --- you could save over $50. no way! and -- you get a $100 gift card. are you serious?! yes! see for yourself how much you can save on the smartphones you want for christmas. walmart. see for yourself how much you can save on the smartphones hershey's drops. a lot of hershey's happiness in little drops of milk chocolate. and cookies n creme. pure hershey's.
10:14 am
[ female announcer ] almost nothing can dampen a baby's mood, when he wakes up dry in pampers. unlike other diapers, pampers has 3 absorbent layers, for up to 12 hours of protection overnight, and more beautiful mornings. ♪ pampers. peaceful nights. playful days. the holidays are a time when families get together to celebrate and reconnect. let's not sugar coat things. they can be filled with a lot of drama. >> no one captures that better than actor, writer, director ed
10:15 am
burns. he returns in his indy film called "the fitzgerald family christmas." he plays the older, more pinterested bossy brother. >> she actually suggested i let her sneak the baby out one day and get her baptized. >> i think it's genius. >> we are not baptizing the baby. >> corey is jewish. >> i thought corey was an atheist. >> he's still jewish. >> a couple of my best friends, one is one of nine, one is one of 12. i always heard great stories about the dynamics in those stories. sometimes they have very different opinions about their parents and what a good or bad job the parents did. that's where i started.
10:16 am
this takes a look at seven adult siblings who have to deal with the fact the father that walked out on the family 20 years ago has returned and he wants to spend christmas with the family. >> he's dying. >> yeah. you gave it away. >> i didn't give it away. we don't know what happens. >> now we got that out of the way. >> people come back for all kinds of reasons. sorry. you didn't tell me not to say. >> the cast, you took your old favorites and brought them all back. talk about your full cast. >> it's like i've got two generations of cast members and two parts of my career. the early mullen season and these later films i've been doing. i knew i was going to work with -- >> she is so great. >> connie here. speaking of connie, i knew i wanted to work with connie britton. they are talking about doing a
10:17 am
mcmullen sequel. i said why wait till then? how about you join this family? to work with connie and mike again it was as if no time has passed. >> the underlying theme is forgiveness. is it possible in that kind of a familial environment for everybody to come to some point of acceptance and forgiveness? >> i think that's the theme of the movie. it's a big part of christmas. i think this family looks at it like, okay, maybe we can't forgive this guy for everything he's done, but for tonight, for this one day, christmas, let's forgive him without giving away the ending -- >> i didn't give away the ending. >> he doesn't die in the film. >> he doesn't die, okay? >> you said the script just poured out of you. >> he gave me good advice. he goes, look, i rewatched your first two films. in 15 years, why haven't you ever gone back and explored
10:18 am
those types of characters, that world and make that kind of film about a family again? >> an honest warts look at it. in real life because we know this father did something that's tough, your dad is completely -- you keep writing that kind of father figure. what does your father who is a wonderful man say about that? >> we were at a film festival. he was at the screening. during the q and a i never got the experience to explain my dad isn't anything like this guy. after he goes you're a real pain, you've got to tell these folks that i am not a -- whatever. >> you have a new way of letting people see these film. >> you bypass the middle man. >> a lot of indy films followed suit. the film is available on vod. if you see this interview, like it, see it on movies on demand channel and buy it today or go
10:19 am
to itunes or amazon. >> makes it so much more marketable. you can come on and be with us for free. we'll have you every day. >> i'll be back tomorrow. >> it will be in some theaters. >> it opens thesically on the 7th in new york and the tri-state area and florida. on the 14th, all around. >> we wish you all the best. >> you're a terrific guy. christy is off in uganda doing good work. >> merry christmas. >> we are staying in the christmas spirit. our webtastic videos will light up your day. >> really? even though our mom tries, she doesn't really get us. and she'll never know who we are, or what... no way, madden girls?? nike! they're so awesome! nike! wow! yeahhhh! thank you! who's your mommy now?
10:20 am
it's a christmas miracle. give victoriously. famous brands. famously easy. famous footwear. victory is yours. ♪ hark how the bells, sweet silver bells ♪ ♪ all seem to say throw care away ♪ ♪ from everywhere, filling the air ♪ [ female announcer ] chex party mix. easy 15-minute homemade recipes you just pop in a microwave. like caramel chocolate drizzles. happier holidays. chex party mix. happier holidays. mommy! i went potty! that's great, honey....
10:21 am
where? for life's bleachable moments. ♪ you are exactly one of a kind ♪ yummy. ♪ a-b-c-d want to drive it to daddy ? ♪ for always ( giggles ) how much is your current phone bill? four sixteen seventy six a month! okay, come with me -- we're gonna save you money. with straight talk at walmart, you get unlimited talk, text and data for only $45 a month per phone. would we get the same coverage? same coverage on america's best networks. you saved $146.76 by switching to straight talk. awesome! now you can afford to share your allowance with me. get the season's hottest smartphones like the samsung galaxy s2 and get straight talk with unlimited data for just $45 a month -- from america's gift headquarters. walmart. ♪
10:22 am
from america's gift headquarters. walmart. you... colorful... soft... and, totally irresistible. your lip butter? likewise. revlon colorburst lip butter. a hydrating buttery balm for baby soft lips in 20 shiny colors. a cup of johan is a 600 horsepower sports coupe that likes to hug curves. ♪ your curves. smooth, rich, never bitter, gevalia. it is time for webtastic. sara haines digs up the next video sure to letten your move. >> we have a festive double
10:23 am
feature for you. >> it's the time of year when people start to decorate for the holidays. i bet none of your neighbors have a light display like this. power fm so people can watch and listen from their cars. it's not playing all the time. >> when does it play? >> they are transmitted so people can watch and listen from the car. he used l.e.d. lights. >> what is it going to cost to get out of prison after you shoot your neighbor? >> it has 1.2 million hits. he's done this for years and just moved into his new house. possibly voted off the island. we have one more. he created light shows for a dozen songs this year. check out the vision of "the
10:24 am
hamster dance." >> wrong. i don't love it. >> the hamster dance. >> you need to stop drinking before the show. during is fine. >> you hand over your wine. >> can you believe this? he's in austin, texas, so don't move there. >> okay. austin is a party town. everybody loves their music. >> thank you. >> we'll show off their new hot looks after this. >> everything you need to know in the world of entertainment. you, hang up first. no, you!! [ female announcer ] after school, get to pizza pleasin'
10:25 am
faster than mandy can hang up on mr. monday. you hang up first. [ female announcer ] in just 60 seconds, you've got snack-defying, satisfying totino's pizza rolls. [ ringing ] it's on. let's roll. totino's pizza rolls. [ ringing ] ho w do totino's pizza rolls. [ ringing ] edelicious hershey's chocolate with 30% less fat?
10:26 am
hershey's simple pleasures chocolate. 30% less fat, 100% delicious. it is 10:26. good morning. i'm marla tellez. earlier in the week, we reported this might be the beard's last week as a san francisco giant. and now a new twist, brian wilson might end up on the rival dodgers. wilson says he wants to return to the giants but if not, his second choice would be the dodgers. wilson lives in l.a. in the off-season. wilson will become a free agent on friday if the giants don't offer him a contract by the 9:00 p.m. deadline. we'll t
10:27 am
10:28 am
welcome back. the time now is 10:28. we are getting some very light showers, mostly on the south end of the bay area. santa rosa you're getting a break before heavy rain returns tonight. look at this potent front on the way to the bay area. throughout the day today, we're going to see showers increase. heavy rain arrives in the north bay by about 4:00, 5:00 p.m. tonight. but we will hit the mid-60s. 65 in livermore. 65 in santa teresa and 62 degrees today in san jose. we have a lot more rain on the way in addition to gusty winds and thunderstorms. we'll time out the next two systems to your doorstep today at 11:00. want to check on that drive with
10:29 am
mike inouye. >> we have a big back-up at the poll plaza now. at least bigger than it was half an hour ago. we have seen an accident that happened in the second lane. not wise moves by people trying to get out of that lane. stick it out, management will get you through. that's your only back-up getting into the city. the berkeley curve, not a problem. over to the right, heading over to the bay bridge. san mateo bridge moving smoothly but over towards the peninsula, those hills guarded by those low clouds, the systems are changing. >> more of the day's top stories coming up at 11:00. back now with more of "today" on this thirsty thursday. time for our plaza ambush makeovers. we pluck two lucky ladies and surprise them with a brand-new look. >> using their amazing handiwork
10:30 am
as always, "today" stylist louis licari. >> and "today" and "us weekly" contributor and author jill martin. >> how was the crowd out there today? >> great crowd. the holiday spirit is really kicking in. that tree lit up. we decided to light up a few ladies. >> marilyn is 59 years old from hanover, indiana. she just retired this past wednesday from her job as a bulldozer operator. wow. that surprised me. >> you should read these ahead of time. >> ready to jump-start this new phase in her life. >> you're such a cute little thing i cannot believe you drove a bulldozer. >> bulldozer, earth mover and i was a lineman on a barge. >> congratulations on your
10:31 am
retirement. you had all men's clothing andrea cut your own hair for 40 years? >> yes. always. >> so what do you think about us doing this whole revamping on you? >> do whatever you want to do. this is going to be really fun. really fun. i've never colored my hair. i cut my hair 40 years. wore it in a ponytail underneath a hard hat. this will be totally knew. he will never know who i am when i come in. >> okay. how fun. >> he is terry, the tall one in the back. keep your blind folds on till we give you the green light. here is marilyn before. let's see the new you. oh, my gosh! are you guys ready? take off your blind folds. >> oh, my gosh! >> are you ready? >> oh, my!
10:32 am
>> what do you think? you're beautiful, right? >> i'm not sure it's me. >> it is you. >> turn around here. tell us about the hair. >> now that her whole problems about dealing with the hard hat every day are gone, what we did is give this great haircut, layers, bangs, shaped around the face. you can still wear it with a ponytail. the big concern was the hard hat would fall off. you don't have to worry about that. i made her into the redhead she once was. >> she was beautiful before and is more beautiful now. >> i still think he likes me. >> wonderful, he's ready to take her shopping. >> look at him doing interviews. >> we're on our way to macy's. >> don't forget bloomingdale's. >> tell us about the outfit. she said i don't want to go to
10:33 am
men's warehouse. i said don't worry. this is from donna morgan. this is a great dress for the holidays. it wasn't too overbearing. she said whatever you want to do with me, which we always love. >> a big round of applause for marilyn. >> thank you, sweetie. we have sandy, 63 from new brunswick, canada. that's so nice. she had the same look as long as she can remember. >> i'm excited for this one because underneath here i know that there is a hot little body and you're single. tell me what you want? >> i would like to look like a new yorker. >> a new yorker. and you're single, so we are going to make you look very glam. maybe you can find your ultimate man. >> that would be a bonus, yes. that would be great. >> all righty. she is here with her daughter-in-law lynn. let's look at sandy before and bring the new sandy out.
10:34 am
>> wow! all right, lynn. take off your blind fold there. >> oh, my god. i love i. >> oh, my gosh. it's beautiful. i love my hair. >> you obviously did a major makeover here. >> sandy had the problem of she was born blonde, her hair kept going gray and she kept highlighting it. >> look at the difference. >> i put color all over. single process blonde. again, vanessa's haircut adds a soft lift. >> gorgeous it. love that dress. >> maggie london. can you show off the back? we wanted to give her a sexy
10:35 am
back, too. it's a huge trend. >> sorry about the microphone. >> all the statement jewelry for under $100. if you're looking for great statement jewelry for the holidays. >> now you need a date for new year's eve. what do you think? >> i love it. it's amazing. she looks like princess diana. >> that's sweet. >> let's bring marilyn out. a big round of applause. you're both beautiful, ladies. we've got the five hot hollywood headlines. >> and a hot guy giving them to us. >> we love jason kennedy a lot. this holiday when kmart shop your way members check out, they can win... ... a trip to universal orlando resort, during our 30 days of surprise sweepstakes. you could have a despicably good time. fly with harry. or win lots of other great prizes. for more chances to win visit shop your way .com
10:36 am
only at kmart. i am making crescent bacon cheddar pinwheels. wow, i'm impressed! [ ding ] dad, the cable's out! you got that right? [ kiss ] thank you ♪ [ male announcer ] pillsbury crescents. let the making begin. [ male announcer ] pillsbury crescents. he is a good little monkey and always very curious. one day george got an important letter... he's built a rocket ship to travel into space. girl: google, how far is earth to the moon? google voice response: moon is 238,900 miles... mother vo: the great moment had come... ...3...2...1.
10:37 am
♪ but i still have a runny nose. [ male announcer ] dayquil doesn't treat that. huh? [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus rushes relief to all your worst cold symptoms,
10:38 am
plus it relieves your runny nose. [ sighs ] thank you! [ male announcer ] you're welcome. that's the cold truth! and then there's juicy chicken with best foods ♪ best foods is the secret to making parmesan crusted chicken... [ bell dings ] ...so crispy so juicy so delicious it's your secret to making dinner disappear best foods. bring out the best it's healthier, and the only one clinically proven. with aloe, vitamins, and no ammonia. my hair looks healthier than before i colored. i switched. you can too, to natural instincts. ♪ [ female announcer ] hey ladies, you love it, you gotta have it. cinnamon toast crunch. 'cause that cinnamon and sugar is so irresistible.
10:39 am
[ slurps ] [ chuckles ] everybody craves those crazy squares. we know it's only thirsty thursday, but we are looking forward to the weekend. >> here to tell us the five things you want to look forward to from the world of entertainment is e news
10:40 am
correspondent and pal. >> brad pitt is coming back. he'll be on the big screen this weekend "killing them softly." it's nothing like "money ball." it's a crime drama. there is a lot of violence. not one for the kids. it's got a great cast. you see james gandolfini is it in it, ray liota. brad pitt at his finest though, a lot of blood and guts. >> i can't wait for him to do a nice romantic movie again and shave. i want to see that face again. >> what if you want to stay home and watch movies at home? >> "paranormal" is coming out for the kids. "men in black iii" with will smith, tommy lee jones and josh brolin. those are three good ones coming out on demand and dvd this weekend. >> okay. >> that's not weird or anything.
10:41 am
>> what is happening? >> in music news, grammy nominations are coming out next week. >> normally they do this in los angeles. the first time they are going to hold it live in nashville. taylor swift will be hosting it with l.l. cool jay and maroon five is going to be performing with luke brian. they'll do all the major categories there and that's next wednesday. >> that is a real tip of the hat to nashville and country music. it's a huge force in the music world and i don't think they get enough credit. they have brilliant musicians. >> they are getting it more and more definitely with this change in location. >> moving on to television. "revenge." >> are you locked into the show? >> i was first season. >> i haven't watched it. >> this sunday is the winter finale. they are not going to do any new episodes until january. they try to build suspense. there are going to be a lot of new revelations, twists and
10:42 am
turns happening. >> a couple people die? >> yes. people are dying. >> they're dying every day. it happens. >> oh, my gosh. >> let's move on to shakira and her baby bulge. >> i don't think she will show until she is seven months pregnant. >> she snuggled up with her boyfriend who is a soccer star. she is gearing up not only to have a baby boy but do "the voice." she will be on there with usher repla replacing christine and see low. >> everyone talking about rihanna's "7-7-7" tour. everyone was complaining how late she was and she was delayed. >> she had 150 journalists on the plane, seven countries, seven days, seven concerts, but they didn't have access to her.
10:43 am
one journalist got so upset, took his clothes off and went streaking on the plane. she finally addressed it. there is the streaker right there. she said i needed to use the time to sleep, to rest my voice. this is something she had never done before. was kind of an experiment. she didn't go crazy. she wasn't out partying. >> still. you don't keep people waiting three hours and bring them all with you. >> it sounded like a good idea on paper. didn't work out. >> she was on the same plane but up in first class and they weren't allowed to go in. >> throw the journalists back in economy. >> well, some of them deserve to be. >> right. >> justin bieber, remember the woman who accused him of having a baby with her. this is back up again. >> paternity is back. it was supposedly settled. now the attorneys are saying that they still do not have the dna test that justin said he did. so it came back to that. >> where is that test? >> the test, has it been done
10:44 am
yet? >> he was on the road, the world tour and said he did it and took off. >> no one knows where the dna test is. so apparently, it hasn't been settled. >> and that child is in this world. >> yes, it is. >> thank you, chase. secrets to losing that stubborn belly fat. fit 'em in my budget. well, with the walmart credit card special financing offer, you can get the sony blu-ray home theater system with wi-fi and the high zoom cyber-shot camera with full hd. look at you, spreading some christmas joy! my cart's kinda full. mind holding these? sure. you know what, muscle man, me and you together, we can knock this christmas thing out. this way, sweetie. [ male announcer ] get the season's hottest brands like the sony blu-ray home theater system. make an electronics purchase of $429 or more on your walmart credit card and get no interest if paid in full within 18 months. america's gift headquarters. walmart. ho if paid in full within 18 months. w domerica's gift headquarters. walmart. edelicious hershey's chocolate with 30% less fat? if paid in full within 18 months. hershey's simple pleasures chocolate.
10:45 am
30% less fat, 100% delicious. mom: what's that, rosie? ♪ you are exactly one of a kind ♪ toy sfx: hi there! let's learn to clap! clap, yeah! ♪ we were made for each other ♪ mom: a-b-c-d-e-f-g ♪ for always. toy sfx: h-i-j-k-l-m-n-o-p. mom: h-i-j-k-l-m-n-o-p. q-r-s. q-r-s. ♪ hark how the bells, sweet silver bells ♪ ♪ all seem to say throw care away ♪ ♪ from everywhere, filling the air ♪ [ female announcer ] chex party mix. easy 15-minute homemade recipes you just pop in a microwave. like caramel chocolate drizzles.
10:46 am
happier holidays. chex party mix. johan comes in a porcelain vessel, crafted with care by a talented blonde from sweden. ♪ smooth, rich, never bitter, gevalia.
10:47 am
♪ [ male announcer ] it's no secret that the price of things just keeps going up. [ female announcer ] but we have some good news. it's our bundle price promise. [ male announcer ] a price you can definitely count on, for two whole years. from at&t. [ female announcer ] a great price for a great triple-play bundle. [ male announcer ] callow. bundles with u-verse tv, internet and home phone start at $89 a month. now get the same great price for two years. [ female announcer ] switch today and get a total home dvr included, free for life. [ male announcer ] you get reliable, high speed internet on our advanced digital network. choose from speeds up to 24 megs. [ female announcer ] and with u-verse tv you can record four shows at once on your total home dvr and play them back in any room.
10:48 am
[ male announcer ] so call now. u-verse triple-play bundles start at $89 a month. now get the same great price for two years. [ female announcer ] with a total home dvr included, free for life. [ male announcer ] it's a triple-play bundle that's hard to beat. same great price. two whole years. price promise. [ female announcer ] that has a nice ring to it. [ male announcer ] only from at&t. ♪ back with "joy's healthy bite." >> a new segment. i like it. >> whether it snuck up on you or when you hit 40 or you stuffed yourself like a thanksgiving turkey last week, belly fat is difficult to lose. >> joy bauer has healthy snack options and help you reduce diabetes. that is a problem area for a lot of women. >> bottom line is, you can't spot reduce, but there are tricks you can do to lose fat all over. the best part is that the belly fat tends to mobilize first.
10:49 am
>> really? >> these foods work. >> green tea. >> everybody loves a soothing cup of tea. now we have research if you sip on either green tea or black tea before a meal or with the meal, it helps to actually play interference with the breakdown of starch. starch meaning rice, pasta or p potatoes. >> before or during? >> before or during. it can be green or black. all tea is virtually calorie-free and fills you up with fluid so you wind up pulling back on the main meal. you eat less and you will lose the belly fat. take advantage of the festive varieties now, cinnamon and spice. >> what do we have here? >> i called these stuffed cukes. i'm replacing a cracker with a low-calorie, low-carb cucumber. >> what is that tuna?
10:50 am
>> you can do chicken salad, tuna salad, crab salad. this is a holiday inspired hors d'oeuvre. you light mayo or nonfat greek yogurt. >> we need to try this. it's delicious. >> nice part about a cucumber, it's more than 95% water. the more water you take in, the more water and sodium you flush out. >> a lot of people have trouble with cucumbers. they return on them, shall we say. >> nice way of putting it. >> i think that pecans should be the official nut of the holidays. when you toast pecans in your home, nothing makes your kitchen smell more fabulous. they are very low carb. it's a filling, fiber, you have to stop at about two handfuls, but if you sprinkle these with a little cinnamon, the cinnamon
10:51 am
helps to keep your blood sugar stable. it is really an ultimate hunger-squelching snack. >> this is my go-to food. >> i need to eat more fruit. >> an apple a day keeps the doctor away to an apple a day keeps debites away. if you eat an apple a day, you have a less likely chance of developing diabetes. >> is it pectin? >> a combination of the pectin and fiber but also these special antioxidants in the apple. they are so low maintenance. they are portion control. i love honey crisp right now. 100 calories and a perfect snack. >> you know you want it. >> i do. >> bean dip. beans are a combo of protein and fiber, which helps to expand in your stomach and keep you feeling full. you eat less. for a holiday dip there is nothing easier than taking a can
10:52 am
of white cannelini beans, tossing it in the food processor with minced rosemary, garlic, a little olive oil and salt and pepper. >> dark chocolate. >> that's what i've been waiting for. >> when you're faced with cupcakes, brownies and fudge, go for the dark chocolate if they have it. europeans came up with a study that shows there is something in dark chocolate that not only tastes so good but helps make our insulin more sensitive. your blood sugars are stable, you feel fuller and lose belly fat. dark chocolate almonds are the best. >> thank you so much. this is "today" on nbc.
10:53 am
10:54 am
10:55 am
10:56 am
the rockefeller center tree outside is lit for the holiday season is officially here and our toy drive is in full swing. >> we have wonderful toy companies helping us out. >> usually your mom is with us. >> i get to be here with you and i am so excited. >> you are a crafts company. >> we are. we are donating over $300,000 worth of crafts supplies for families and kids all over the united states. >> why do you do it every year? >> there is something magical that happens when kids and parents sit down to create. i know my kids love to create things, gifts really for us as parents. >> they love to give you something. they are so proud, aren't they? >> and thank you for coming and thank you for all you do. >> we know your mother is right over there. >> and thank you for your cool hairdo. >> thank you. >> you can contribute to our toy drive in person or make a donation from home.
10:57 am
check our website for details. >> tomorrow, raffle macchio and why kids lie. >> and some adults. >> we'll talk about it tomorrow. >> have a great day. [ crickets chirping ]
10:58 am
10:59 am
[ traffic passing ] ♪ [ music box: lullaby ] [ man on tv, indistinct ] ♪ [ lullaby continues ] [ baby coos ] [ man announcing ] millions are still exposed to the dangers... of secondhand smoke... and some of them can't do anything about it. ♪ [ continues ] [ gasping ] right now at 11:00, a woman on the peninsula waking up to a nightmare this morning. an intruder standing in her bedroom and now the search for that man is on.

1,396 Views

1 Favorite

info Stream Only

Uploaded by TV Archive on